Sunday is a day of rest

The latest waffle weave dishcloth.

I was home alone yesterday. Hanno drove down to the Gold Coast to help Kerry and Sunny buy a car. It's actually Sunny's car, she's saved enough to pay cash for a good second hand car and as she's coming home from work in the middle of the night in a very busy tourist town, I think it's an excellent idea that she's not waiting for the bus to get herself home safely. Like Kerry, Sunny is a chef. Hanno and Kerry had done some online research during the week so armed with his notes and a bag of goodies - homemade ginger beer, soap and some zucchinis, Hanno set off early Sunday morning for the two hour drive.

A gift - time alone at home.

I had no plans, I wanted to see the day slowly unfold of its own accord, so I loaded up the washing machine, fed the animals, let the chickens out to free range and settled down to read an old copy of British Country Living while I had breakfast. I love that magazine, I haven't bought a new copy for a few years now but I have several years worth of them to browse through and when I do, I always find something interesting.

There was no need to make bread but the floor needed sweeping so I ignored that need and went outside with Alice to watch the chooks and walk around the garden. I was hanging the washing on the line when the phone rang. It was my friend Bernadette asking if she could drop in. "I'll be there in ten minutes." I looked at the floor and decided against sweeping, instead, I filled the kettle and checked the forum. Bernadette arrived right on time and instead of coffee she wanted only water so we sat with our drinks on the front veranda. Bernadette is ill and although she's a keen crafter - particularly knitting and crocheting, she's been unable to concentrate enough to do anything. It did my heart good to see her with her craft sack, from which she removed her crochet. I asked her about milk jug covers, I had an email recently about them and after doing an online search realised there aren't many patterns available. Bernadette told me she has a book full of patterns so when I'm at work this week, I'll call in to her place and pick up the book.

I'm not a crocheter at all, but I like to try my hand at everything that will produce what I use. I need more milk jug covers, I only have two but I often have two potions fermenting, and I would like a few more covers so I can wash them frequently and still have some in use. When I have the book of patterns, I'll choose a simple one and share it here. Maybe you'd like to crochet along with me. I know there is at least one lady who will.

Lucy, our Old English Game chook.

When Bernadette left, I checked the forum again then made a sandwich for lunch and sat down to watch a recorded episode of Time Team. When the TV came on it was on the ABC which was featuring the Iowa State Fair. What a great fair that looks like. Much like our Royal Easter Show in Sydney that I used to visit almost every year with my sister when we were little girls. I love agricultural shows. We don't have a butter cow like they have in Iowa but we have a hall filled with home cooking like cakes, jams, bread and scones. It's quite something to win a prize at the Royal, I'm sure the same applies at the Iowa fair.

I watched TV for a short while, then went to sleep in my chair and woke again when the phone rang. It's a delicious pleasure relaxing on a Sunday afternoon and with the TV droning on in the background, drifting off to sleep. I took my knitting outside then and sat with Alice, knitting, for 30 minutes. Then off to collect the eggs - which I didn't do because we have two broody hens at the moment and they're vicious. They were both sitting on the nest, staring out with their beady eyes, I knew I'd be in trouble if I picked them up. So I left them for Hanno with his gardening gloves. We have some girls who, when broody, don't mind us picking them up, but not these two. (I just let the chooks out this morning and there are three brooding now.)

Late in the afternoon, I made a stir fry, looked at the unswept floor again and decided to give myself the day off from the floor and any guilt associated with not sweeping it and I spent some time on the forum. Hanno came home just before 7pm.

What did you do yesterday?