Friday, October 5, 2007

The French Probably have a Word For This

Why is it that I have my best ideas at 4am and then never remember them later? At 4 am this morning, I was lying in bed, having got up to comfort a sick child (now son – daughter better) and was thinking about knitting (as you do) and the blog (as you do), and came up with a wonderful, wise, witty yet highly amusing take on life, the universe, and everything. Unfortunately, I have no idea now what I was thinking about then.

So unless it suddenly comes back to me, you’ve missed out!

Spring is definitely here.

These are living proof of why laziness is a wonderful thing – as is the fine art of procrastination. The first year we moved back to Tasmania (2000), I planted tulips in what was then a flower bed. Seven years later, we’ve ditched the flower bed, but I never moved the tulips, despite fully intending to for at least 4 years. They have now naturalised, and come up happily every year, spreading over a wider and wider area (which then can’t be mowed because of the tulips). Ain’t they grand?!?

Additional proof of spring is supplied by this:


This is the weeping cherry with the Mt Fuji ornamental cherry in the background. Don’t they look fine? Normally I don’t approve of pointless trees – especially those which only look good for about 2 weeks a year – but when they look good, they certainly look great!

My favourites are fruit trees, because they look great, then you get fruit. This garden has been established for a loooooonnnngg time. We have evergreen magnolias well over 15 metres tall, we have camellia trees – not bushes, trees over 10 metres tall (just ask Kate), quinces and apples, enormous old mulberry trees held together with equally enormous bolts and every spring flower you can think of.

The poor garden is horribly neglected, but does its best to look good under the most trying of circumstances. I have tomatoes I must plant out, but I am a bit loath to do so, give the fact that we’ve had gales and hail, rain and wind, sunshine and there’s STILL snow on the mountains.

It’s hard to believe that NSW and the ACT are sweltering, when it’s so cold here.

On the knitting front, I’ve been working on a sock design for SSS and hope to have it written up and on the needles next week. Some of it baffled me when I tried to translate a lace stitch into not only knitting in the round, but knitting in the round inside out and upside down. We’ll see.

The Happy Clappy will be finished tonight (having said that so confidently, I am bound to be struck down by the knitting Goddess, so I’ll re-phrase it). I hope to have the Clappy finished tonight – It looks beautiful, even if I do say so myself, and I can definitely see another one sometime in the future.

The Princess has improved, healthwise at least – I’ve considered listing her on eBay several times in the past week, but I doubt anyone would bid. Now Destructoboy has been struck down. It’s an odd lurgy, this one. Mild fever, general lassitude and off the food-ness, some headache and sleepiness, and a high level of whinginess and clinginess. Just what a mother needs!

The sad fact is, that when they’re REALLY sick, they’re actually terribly nice. Small, snuggly and sweet. When they’re on the mend they’re whiny, whingy and annoying – prone to tantrums and unexplained storms. When they started fighting and yelling at each other last week, we knew the Princess was well enough for school.

So, she only attended half the circus class, but did manage her entire 45 minute first swimming class yesterday and actually swam – huge excitement all round.

That’s more than enough. We’re off tomorrow to the northern Capital for a surprise party (ssshhhh! Don’t tell!) and I will finally get some sock knitting in on the lovely Tulip feather and fans. Hurrah!!

Hopefully life will return to what we fondly regard as normal by next week!

9 comments:

Rose Red said...

I often compose whole posts in my head...and of course can never reproduce them when I come to write them down. Sigh!

Your tulips look fabulous!

2paw said...

I never know what I am going to write, but when I sit down, it is all there ready in my fnger tips!! "they' say you should keep a pad and pen on your bedside table so you can write your fantastic thoughts down immediatley!! Hope everyone is well soon. Great going with the swimming there!!!
Happy Sock designing!!!

Five Ferns Fibreholic said...

I can so relate. One kid gets something then it travels throughout the family, hitting us one by one. Problem is DH barely gets any symtoms while I get the worst of it out of the five of us.

About the tomatoe plants...hmmm...has your friend's butt told her it's time to plant. Sorry but I just can't get past that one....

TrampledbyGeese said...

It's too bad we missed out on your insightful post. Have you tried keeping a pencil and paper near your bed?

I'm envious of spring. The leaves are changing colour here and putting on a real show this year. I still like spring best. Your tulips are spectacular.

If I could, I would happily come over hand help you garden. Fruit trees are my specialty.

gemma said...

Having something beautiful is a reason in itself (even if only for 2 weeks a year). Love your garden.

MadMad said...

Your garden sounds beautiful, with all the trees. Hope EVERYONE is better and stays better soon! (And also that you remember your 4 AM insights into life, 'cuz God knows I could use some of those...)

Bells said...

maybe you should have headed straight to the computer?

Looooove the tulips. So pretty.

Georgie said...

What on earth gave you the idea we were "sweltering" in the ACT? 22 is not *my* idea of warm!

I too am forever writing witty and compelling tracts in my head, only to be totally lost for words at the keyboard.

Looking forward to a Tink Original sock design! And a finished clappy!

Denise said...

Canberra isn't sweltering by any means, not yet anyway... very windy though :p

Your garden looks so lovely and green - just adore those tulips!

Hope the vile recuperation phase is over soon and you have two healthy kidlets again!