I've psyched myself into tackling the careful packing of the dresser tomorrow. My honeypots have managed, thus far, to survive many a pack and move, and hopefully this time will be no different. The first ever pot, this yellow one, was bought when I was still a teenager. It's a mass produced pot from the 30's/40's made in Japan, but to me it's priceless and always makes me smile.

One Person's Trash Is Another One's Treasure

We're moving in a couple of week's, not far, but a move nonetheless. My good man has started packing boxes; I'm still contemplating.  I always find shifting home a time for rediscovery of objects that I may have overlooked for a while, tucked away in drawers, or out on shelves that are in full view but I forget to see. Lots of memories and associations that are nice to find again.

This old wooden bowl was my Grandfather's. He may have made it, I'm not sure, although he definitely stained it as I have a bentwood chair that he restored in the same finish. The egg-shaped pieces of wood are my Grandmother's darning eggs, and I think her Mother's before. They would be horrified to see holey socks being thrown away without a few attempts being made to extend there lives. I used them a few months ago to mend my son's soccer socks and surprisingly he didn't complain about the blue wool covering the bottom of his blacks socks, and it was a nice way to reconnect with some of my maternal forebears. The two black things sticking up are a shoe horn and a plier type tool to fasten buttons, both stamped "Real Ebony"just in case anyone thought otherwise. The white and metal thing in front is a button hook, no stamp but "Real Bakelite" (plastic). These all belonged to my Great Grandmother, and the button hook has come in handy over the years, its last use repairing a rag rug that my daughter's have found it impossible to walk past without pulling pieces out. Tucked in the right hand side is a small poker work plate that my Aunt Eve gave me, made by her or one of her sisters when it was the thing to do. And lastly in the front is something I made about 15years ago; a small rock picked up when I was walking beside the Manawatu River while my husband was fly fishing.  It was perfectly smooth and in my minds eye it was already a contented, sleepy cat, I just had to make it visible to everyone else. It's a great paperweight and something of mine to pass down.

More rediscovering to come...

My Very First Post

Hello... I've been putting this off but the time has come to take the plunge and write.

I'm about to wrap a present that I've designed and made for my daughter's friend who is turning 7 next weekend. My wee poppet loves it. It will be safely wrapped and stashed away, so I'm feeling quite organised after what has been a very hectic week.

Hand embroidery is the best stress buster and makes me feel very at peace with the world.  I probably should carry around thread, cloth and a stretching frame just in case inspiration grabs me, like my friend, the knitter, who always has her needles and wool on hand and has no shame in producing them at will.