I am starting off today with an interesting cloud formation I saw when driving home the other day. It was like a small door opening into another world. Certainly someone had their eye on us.
But when I zoom out, what do you think it is? A fairly benign frog or something more sinister peeping out over the hills?
The other week folk shared the odd positions that their dogs rest in, so here is one of Leo. He still loves to run up his scratching tree to the platform at the top, and at first he curls up on it. But as he relaxes you can see he is far too big for it now so he just hangs off each end. He was asleep like this but he heard me get my camera and opened his eyes to give me a baleful look.
However he has got the sense to realise that stretching out between dad's legs is a more comfortable bed!
Just before Christmas our son Tom was on a work trip from Denmark to Portugal, so he stopped off with us for a few days on the way home. He brought me five lovely original tiles, two of which make nice big, easy-clean coasters on our new sofa tables. But as I am trying to introduce some blues into the room to complement the new furniture, I chose the two tiles with the most blue in them to frame. They fitted nicely into these shadow box frames, and for now they are up on a shelf, but I hope to wall mount them soon.
I am also getting into doing a bit of crochet again. I don't like sitting twiddling my thumbs in the evenings, and as long as I don't do it for too long at a time, I find it is okay. Always up for a challenge, I am trying a new technique called Tunisian mosaic crochet. It is worked with two colours in alternate rows, using a double ended hook. (I had not seen these before and had to buy one specially). The motifs are hexagons and you work one edge in the main colour, turn around and work back in the second colour. Then do the same for the next edge and so on. The pattern included a basic practice motif to work to learn the new stitches of which there are five. I did a lot of unpicking at first, but I have got the hang of it now, so here is my practice motif in two shades of green. The hexagons for the main blanket are much more complex designs but I think I know what I am doing now.
A couple of pictures from the garden. We have had very strong winds this week and as I said to one of my boys, it is raining oranges. I collected up another twenty yesterday, so I must remember to juice some. But the lemons are not quite ready yet, and so far they are hanging on tight. We have a bumper crop on our one little tree this year. There are at least forty fruits on there. I have no idea what I will do with them all.
And lastly our pink bougainvillia is still looking amazing, so I wnet out when the sun was on it, and took a few pictures. That would brighten up anyone's day.
One good bit of news this week is that I have finally had the biopsy on my hand. The hospital phoned me on Monday and said "You have an apointment at 4.00 tomorrow". It didn't take long and the anaesthetic worked well, but it was quite different from how they do it in UK. There were no screens etc, so I sat and watched. I am not sqeamish and I find it interesting, but I have to admit I was a bit surprised at how much they cut off the wound for testing. I now have to keep it dry for a week or so until I have the two stitches taken out. Hopefully they will find out why it is reluctant to heal completely, and be able to do something about it.
I spent a lovely afternoon with two very dear friends. We drank tea and caught up on our news, put the world to right, and really enjoyed ourselves.
But now it is time to link up with Annie's Friday Smiles.
A bit delayed! I am late posting today because when I woke up this morning I knew that the wound on my hand was infected again, so I went round to the medical centre to have it checked out. Now I am double bandaged and back on strong antibiotics, but hey-ho - hopefully they will get it sorted in the end.
8 comments:
Oh I didn't realise you were still battling to get that hand sorted, I remember my Mum having an injury on her shoulder which refused to get better, it took some time and some patience but they got the treatment right in the end. I'm glad you are back crocheted again and challenging yourself to try different styles, the hexagon looks almost knitted - which seems strange when it is crocheted if you know what I mean. the lemon tree is spectacular, now my hubby would make Limoncello with it or alternatively make preserved lemons great for middle eastern dishes although there is a large amount of salt involved. The new tiles are lovely and I like how they look in the frames and the new sofa tables are fabulous too.
Have a beautiful and blessed weekend and week ahead.
Hugs
Very cool first pic, you have a sharp, creative eye!
Your Leo cracks me up! :-)
Nice tiles indeed ad great crocheting. Wow on your fruits! Oj on your hand! Good luck and healing, hugs x
I'm even later than you getting around Kate....I've had a busy day with sewing....I've been so much busier now I'm retired and I'm loving it :-)
I hope they get the problem with your hand sorted very soon for you. So much to smile about on today's post.
Hugs,
Annie x
Hi Kate, clouds are very interesting aren't they. I do hope you get your hand sorted soon, sounds painful. Your garden and kitty should help you to smile a bit though. Take care and have a good weekend. Hugs, Angela xXx
How's your hand? Are the antibiotics helping? I hope it gets sorted soon.
Leo and his strange sleeping position made me smile.
Those tiles are beautiful. For one moment I thought you would go and crochet the pattern from the tiles.
The Tunisian crochet you are doing is really lovely. Well done. I have done Tunisian crochet in the past but I only did a straight pattern, nothing as elaborate as your hexagon.
Seeing the bougainvillaea (and the lemons too) lifted my spirits.
Enjoy your weekend,
Lisca
girl, you watched the surgery??! best outcome wishes to you!!
I had a resistant infection last year and it took months of antiotics, and use of betadyne topically, bandaging, and care, At one point they put on a sort of seaweed wrap/poultice and that did the most to help... wound care center knows,
that cat, is cozy! I love both nap positions. Cant you cover the orange tree with a net like olive trees have? I grew up in Florida, with lots of oranges and I sure miss fresh fruit. I'm envious!
LeeAnna
An interesting week Kate - I too have watched excisions of bits - as long as there is plenty of local anaesthetic used first!! Do hope the antibiotics work well and quickly
That crochet technique looks fascinating - I too have never heard of a double ended crochet hook
The tiles are beautiful - especially framed like that.
Leo is such a typical cat - my boy also seems to know when I am about to take a phot, and will move or look up at me...
Blessings
Maxine
I'm even later than you. Sorry to read about your hand. I hope the antibiotics work.
I think I have a crochet hook that a hook on both ends. I'll take a photo of mine. It would have belonged my grandmother who both crocheted and knitted.
Leo looked so adorable in both positions. How amazing you have both oranges and lemons. I am totally impressed. Mainly because I am buried in snow and ice right now. Very pretty tiles, too. BTW, my Christmas decs came down on Dec. 28.
Sorry I'm late visiting. High winds knocked my electric out. Nothing worked. Even my heater and hot water heater have electric starts, so the cats and I huddled under blankets until the heat came back on.
Being late was bad, but I got a "Failed to Publish." I will keep trying until it publishes.
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