A while since I have had a rambling post about nothing but today as the clocks go back and winter finally sets in seems a good time to sit and waffle. (Those of you in the back row who think I do this all year round please keep your thoughts to yourself...)
It is Saturday and things have been nice and quiet at Random Towers and these days I find it essential to have times like this. I love it when I wake up knowing that I have nothing, simply, nothing to do and could, if I wanted to, sit round in my pjs and dressing gown all day. I don't mind you, I am not that sluttish, but nice to know that it is a possibility.
I have spent an awful lot of time watching the cricket where England are playing a Test series against Pakistan in the UAE. This venue has been chosen because of the political situation in Pakistan and because there were problems and upheavals during the last series. Well if you want to guarantee the safety of both teams you could not pick a better place. I switched on the other morning and what did I see? A bunch of men in cricketing whites in the middle of the ground and acres and acres of blue seats, all empty. Nobody in the UAE is interested in cricket and the only spectators were the respective teams and team mates and a scattering of stalwart souls huddled together in the shaded part of the ground. It is not until you watch a match sans audience that you realise just how much an atmosphere is needed to engage one's interest. Throw in a pitch that allowed each team to knock up about 500 apiece and you will find that the eyes soon begin to droop. Second Test which is currently on, is a tad better - there must be about 100 people there.
I have been watching tennis from Vienna as an alternative to the cricket and it has proved really interesting and engaging as the Big Ones are absent so that the players slightly lower down in the tennis stratosphere take centre stage and some of the games have been really wonderful.
Now to add to all this excitement, I have been knitting. It never stops here you know. The Excitement. Years ago I used to knit all the time but this fell by the wayside. Trying to think what to give my son in law for Christmas I had the idea of knitting him a scarf. Initially, I thought I would use cashmere wool but after working out that it would cost me over £75 with the pattern I had in mind, I soon abandoned that idea. So instead I bought some gorgeous sage green chunky wool and a huge set of needles and got going. I have never knitted with such big needles in my life but boy did the scarf grow and I finished it in a day and a half. I am very pleased with it.
Flushed with success I then decided to practice various stitches I have never done before, using an excellent knitting book I bought a few months ago, Knit Step by Step, and have been knitting small blocks which I will use up for a blanket or cushion later. One of the stitches, a honeycomb stitch, I loved and just carried on instead of casting off and ended up knitting a scarf for Beatrice, which I finished off with a crocheted edge and a small flower to sew on. Of course, I now have to do one for Florence or else there will be ructions!
A riveting week as you can see.
Only drawback has been that my right arm and my neck are aching abominably as I am using muscles which have probably not stirred for some years. I therefore reek of embrocation at the moment (good job I live on my own) and the thought crossed my mind, as it was very painful, that I might go to see my new doc. But then I had second thoughts. First time I visited him it was to treat a torn calf muscle in my leg which I did by getting up out of an armchair. Not sure I want to go and tell him I am in pain from picking up a pair of knitting needles and a ball of wool...
Have a nice weekend everyone.
Au Reservoir.
