Rocking Your World 2019: Week 16

Easter week, or Semana Santa as it is known here, looks set to be wet and windy here. In fact those of you in UK are expected to have better weather than Spain, though I am pretty sure we will still be at least as warm as you. But that is no reason to be downhearted. We need the rain before summer gets here, and I am sure we will still all have a good time. This week has been very pleasant and it started with a lovely Palm Sunday service at my church.

Led by the lovely Father Alan, aided by my friend and Lay-Reader Margie, we all went back outside, collecting our crosses made from local palm leaves as we went. 

We read the Liturgy of Palms  together and it was lovely to have a warm and sunny morning for this. Last year we were all nearly blown away, but there was very little wind this year.

Then we all held up our crosses for the blessing, and processed back inside singing the traditional hymn, "All glory, laud and honour."

That afternoon was the hottest we have had this year so far, so we ate our dinner outside and then lounged in the porch with books, crochet and music - lovely!

We have had some interesting visitors in the garden this week. We were on our way out one day when I spotted this one high up on the front porch wall. It is, of course, a praying mantis, and quite a good size one too. Maybe it is one that hatched from my nest last autumn. I always leave these alone as they eat a lot of bugs , and this one soon wandered away.

Also when I was out the front watering all the flower pots, I spotted this on the wall. It is the nest of Potter wasp. Although I am no fan of wasps of any kind, these ones are not aggressive, and I have to marvel at the little mud pots they build for their nests. This is only a centimetre across at the most.

A seed has landed across the opening. This is an internet picture of the builder.

On Tuesday I went to the market looking for cheap strawberries to make one more batch of jam, and these are what I bought.

They look much too good to use for jam, but out here the strawberries are always very big, and they don't bruise too easily so they are in good condition too. Because they are big I do cut them up a bit. I chop about three quarters of them, and put the rest in my blender to make a 'chunky' purée. I find that works better than leaving them whole.

So I made the jam today and now there are another eighteen jars cooling in the kitchen. I won't be making any more as I don't sell as much jam once the warmer weather is here, so I have enough for the year now.

When I went to UK last year for the choir concert in London, I knew I was going on to see each of my sons, but I would also have some time when I'd be itching for some crochet to do. (I am not good at just sitting doing nothing!). I was working on my big blanket but I couldn't take that with me, so I bought a ball of colour change cotton in 4ply, to make a baby blanket.  When I got home I decided to keep it to work on at my sewing group on Wednesday mornings. It was nice and light to carry with me, and I didn't have to concentrate too hard on it, so I could still chat with my friends. Well this week I finished it and I am really pleased with it.

I have never used one of these yarn cakes before. The cotton was three strands twisted together, and it started with three strands of purple.Then it became two purple strands and one blue one, then one purple and two blue, and eventually all three were blue. Then the turquoise slowly came in followed by green etc, and that is how the gradual colours changes happened. I really like the effect. 

It was a six row pattern that left rather uneven edges so I wanted to make a border. I had used all my ball of yarn on the blanket so I went through my stash and found some oddments of a different make of 4ply cotton. It wasn't as soft as the original one but I don't think that mattered for the border, and it did finish the blanket off rather nicely.

Now I will have to find something else to do on Wednesdays.

And now for a couple of items for Facebook that I have seen recently. The first one is really only for my English family and friends. When I mentioned a few weeks ago how I love opening a new jar of Marmite, one of my followers had not heard of it, nor what I thought was the American equivalent, Vegemite. Well part of the advertising for Marmite is "Love it or Hate it". Our family mostly Love it, but I know others who Hate it. And with the whole mess of Brexit in UK right now, this just struck me as being quite a clever take on the two. 

This one will have more universal understanding and appeal, and it really made me smile, so I hope it does you too.

And on that note I will link up with Annie's Friday Smiles and Rocking Your World. 

Wishing you all a Happy and Blessed Easter.