courtyard garden | The Contented Crafter

Surely there’s a song in that title – the closest my in-head song repertoire is coming up with is Willie Nelson et al being ‘Back on the Road Again’ – can you do any better? Share a link in the comments if you can.

It’s been an interesting few months – regular readers and friends on Facebook have the gist of it, with a lot of falling over that began at the end of October (me) and continued on at the end of November (YD) dealing with the results of those, Deep Vein Thrombosis (me) and breaks and fractures (YD) – interspersed with losses and Christmas and slow healing and excessive and unusual heat, plus thunderstorms and downpours more suited to the tropics than the Riviera of Antarctica……. and let’s not forget a laptop that completely gave up the ghost on Christmas Day followed soon after by a mobile that went out in sympathy leaving me briefly but entirely devoid of any contact with the outside world.

When life goes south on you it is always a wonderful opportunity to become mindful of how many ways you are loved and supported. We have had many opportunities to be mindful and grateful. At the top of my list is my eldest daughter who dropped her life and flew in to care for her sister for the first week she was home from hospital. And when my phone was declared deceased immediately funded a new one. Second is the phenomenal rallying around and support offered to YD by her friends and work place as she recovers and after 50 days at home begins to take her first tentative steps back into the world in a moon-boot.

Next comes my phenomenally generous and kind ‘friend who blogs’ the amazing Alys over at Gardening Nirvana who sent a note that left me speechless along with the money for a new lap top. I was left silent and humbled in the face of such powerful generosity of spirit!

I’m also grateful for an understanding of therapies and foods that feed the body and soul and hasten healing. I’m grateful for the ability to look at incidents like this and see a bigger picture. I’m happy that YD and I can laugh at ourselves and support each other even if it is like a couple of old crocks.

But my goodness after almost three months of on and off trauma I was tired out and so was poor Siddy – he has been so busy with visiting and caring and helping out, his little eyes just droop as soon as we get to a ‘sitting’ or ‘waiting’ part of the day. We were both longing for a day at home in cooler temperatures. And today we got our wish at last. Good things ALWAYS arrive if you are patient enough!

So here we are – to say ‘Happy New Year’ even if it is three weeks late and to thank you all for those comments, emails and messages that have kept me buoyed up and forward looking even on days when I wasn’t.

The tiny courtyard garden has thrived this summer and in a few quiet moments we have enjoyed visiting it no matter the weather or time of day. This was us taking a short break one evening just before getting the hose out ……..

Siddy Jan 18

garden 2 Jan 18

garden 3 Jan 18

Siddy’s new safety gate arrived and was quickly assembled so we can have the kitchen door open and enjoy any passing breeze (and passing people won’t get mobbed and harassed by an over enthusiastic puppy who is convinced they are there just to see him). Orlando doesn’t think much of it however

O at door Jan 18

I also found time to gather, combine and make up a light catcher and sent it off on its journey to its new home – a delicious combinations of pinks and oranges and coppery hues; sea jasper beads, tiny coral beads, seashell pieces and masses of crystals

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And as days return slowly to a normal rhythm I have even begun to work once more in my art room, stay tuned for anything coming out of there. And my mind turns also to the upcoming reunion of friends who first met up in Washington DC almost three years ago and who first met through reading each others blog posts here on WordPress. Stay tuned for more on that…….

Thanks for coming by today and catching up with us here, I love that you do!

I quite like September 29th. It is Michaelmas and comes hard on the heels of the equinox. Here in the Southern Hemisphere it coincides with Spring and all the renewal that she brings to us.

It is my favourite time of the year.

Traditionally Michaelmas always arrives and I have a bright idea – this year I thought it was letting me down – but then it arrived bang on time!

Previous to its arrival, I had said ‘I must write a blog post, but there seems to be nothing new to write about …..’ my ever helpful youngest daughter looked me squarely in the eye and said “You’ve already written a post about procrastination, maybe you could revisit that…….”

She’s right of course.

I have light catcher orders to fulfill. But I’m waiting on ‘parts’ to arrive……….

I have knitting and crocheting projects to finish ……….. Oh-oh, no excuse there…..

But I am working away at this

bit by bit, row by row – it is crocheted all in one piece from the top down

which is a new experience for me.

It’s actually a pretty pink, but I took this shot in the dim early morning light……

It should be finished by now!

I am blaming my dear friend Alys, who sent me some fabulous Pitt Pens for my birthday – horribly expensive here, I never had more than three or four and used them sparingly and with great afore-thought!

Do you notice the striking lid of the box? Alys made that 🙂

And then my daughter who gave me one of those grown up colouring in books ……..

Which has led to hours of happy, meditative idleness……..

But, it’s such fun!!

As an absolute aside, and apropos of absolutely nothing, I thought to share this bit of news – As I’ve been colouring, I’ve also been moisturising:

This long cold harsh winter has played havoc with my skin – I feel like I’ve added new layers of sag and wrinkles and dryness to my once elastic and pliable skin. [No tittering in the back stalls please!] Then I purchased some Rose and Almond Dry Skin Cream from Wendy at Tumble Downs. Fantastic stuff! I could write an advertisement for it, but I won’t. I just thought I’d mention that I got it and love it and no, she isn’t paying, bribing or back-handing me in any way for this mention.

A mere glance at my moist and glowing skin would have you convinced – has anyone else tried it?

An order for mittens from Lisa for her brother sent me scurrying back to my wool stash.

Mittens for a man.

Manly colours.

Manly style – no flowers or frills huh?

So I played around and came up with these –

[Staying with the La Boheme theme]

‘Rodolfo’s Hand Warmers’

One pair will make it into the shop, the other two have a home to go to.

I particularly like the optional button detail.

What do you think?

But back to the Michaelmas Inspiration!

Michael is the Archangel of ‘doing the good’ – good deeds in the community is the leitmotif for young children – right actions across all spheres of life is the challenge for adults.

I like that concept.

So as I gathered together the above rambling list of bits and pieces that I have actually been achieving, despite believing I was DOING NOTHING – the bane of any choleric’s life – and I realised it was Michaelmas Eve here and still I had not had my inspirational moment to lead me onwards and upwards!!

…. No sooner had I had that thought when…..

…some very good news arrived…..

My door was knocked upon by a real estate agent who had come to tell me my challengingly unsavoury, alcoholic neighbour was selling his flat and leaving the area.

Oh, halloo, hallay!!

And then, hard on the heels of that good news, in the middle of the night, I had a brainwave about my tiny courtyard garden.

I’ve decided to go minimal this year.

I went maximal last year and the plant life was so prolific there was nowhere left for me to sit and soak up the rays.

The work will be hard, I have to remove three – four metres of built up soil [I use that word, soil, advisedly – despite my best efforts it remains mostly sour and solid dirt piled on top of concrete.]

I will replant the thriving plants into tubs, baskets and whatever else I can lay my hands on and scatter them artistically about the perimeter

after I have painted the fence a bright and cheerful colour.

I shall take before and after shots for your eddification and possible enjoyment.

Wish me luck.

I have some orders to make up before I get stuck into that project!

If you have any bright ideas to contribute – thoughts or experiences to share

Please do!

Thanks for coming by today, I love that you did!