Happy, Happy, Happy!!

Well, it’s certainly obvious by now that Christmas will arrive before my 100th post. But will the New Year?

This week has incorporated all the usual week before Christmas madness – is it possible for a week to be possessed by the devil? At times it has certainly seemed that way.

I have been frazzled, bruised and the victim of seriously feral children (my own, unfortunately, so I can neither blame somebody else, nor give them back). I have been reduced to tears by bouts of screaming tantrums (not mine – the tantrums anyway) and have had to put it down to overtiredness and excitement (both theirs and mine). On the other hand, they have also managed to be absolute and total angels on at least 6 occasions each, so the karma probably balances out.

I had a particularly rough day yesterday, when out of the blue this arrived:

This is a parcel from Happy Spider and Taph, and even if it was meant to be a Christmas present I opened it (all knitters have no self control – that’s why we have stash – and more than one item on our needles! – and a Ravelry queue longer than our arms – my excuse for the Ravelry queue? My printer is out of ink until at least tomorrow, so rather than trying to remember all the patterns I want to download, I just whack them on the queue! Simple!)

What was in it? Joy was in that parcel. Pure, simple joy! It had the world's first skeins of Happy Spider’s new colourway, Gothic Princess

(Zephyrama – look away now – it’s mine!! Mwaahhh!)

It had a skein of Swoon in the Purple Haze colourway (I am the first person to have these in the world – I am so overwhelmed by this!). Swoon is a merino angora blend and Spidey’s cloud in heaven will feel like this yarn!

It had a skein of Magma sock yarn

And a skein of Spidey’s hand spun yarn in Peacock.

It had tea and an infuser. It even had a card with a shoe on it! And there seems to be a little sheep sheltering in there!


It was a parcel full of joy! I cannot thank the two of you enough for making a rotten day magnificent!

I also received my parcel from Irene at the Jolly Jumbuck – with 2 balls of Tofutsies, and a ball of Fleece Artist Seawool – and a pair of Addi dpn’s in 2.25mm. And a little bit of Pear Tree merino – just a metre or so, for fondling purposes. Happy! Happy! Happy! (Picture me doing the happy dance!)

This joy set me thinking about happiness.

Happiness is a wonderful thing – although you need some pepper in your life – some trials and unhappiness to measure your happiness against. Constant happiness would be a bit like eating nothing but fairy floss – cloying and bad for the teeth.

I am a happy person (mainly). I see the glass as half full, doors opening when other doors shut, the silver lining and the lemonade. Not always, but mostly. I enjoy life and my family, friends, blogging, knitting, house and surrounds. I am never bored (who can be bored with children, knitting, blogs, patterns, Ravelry, reading, music and the odd good film. And, when all else fails, there’s always the housework or garden to do.

I understand depression, because I have been there, too. But for the last couple of decades, depression as a state of mind has not featured on my mental landscape. I have had short bouts of deep depression, caused by miscarriage and other physical problems in that time, but they have been grieved over and wept away.

So, in this Christmas season, I’m going to count blessings.

I have 2 occasionally wonderful children, and an Accountant I love very much. I live in a lovely house in a wonderful place and have a great stash! I am in the position of being able to contribute to charity in cash or kind (although I could and should do much more), I have new skills to learn about my chosen obsession (knitting) and not nearly enough time to do it in. I love cooking and food and enjoy this. I love reading and blogging and have discovered a whole blogworld full of new friends and enablers. And co-dependents.

So this year, my chosen blessing is you! Charge your glasses, ladies and occasional gentlemen. Here’s to you! Thank you for filling my life with the conversation of adults when I need to talk to people taller than a 5 year old. For your support and affirmations. Most of all, here’s a toast to friendship!

May your Christmas and new year be safe, loving and happy – and your stash grow ever more SABLE! To you!!