Other people's cleverness

There has been no time recently to do anything creative. I am so looking forward to a day in the kitchen, at the sewing machine, or in the garden. Without the doing of nice things, everything feels a bit pointless and drab.

But there is not much longer to go - the worst of the work is coming to an end, I finally have a weekend off coming up, and there is a whole pile of fabric pieces cut out and waiting to be stitched into a quilt.

In the meantime, there are very many creative people around me, whose works of art are keeping me happy and inspired.

Anna made me this beautiful necklace for Christmas. It is strung on magic wire (there may be a more technical term for it...) that will let you twist it around your neck - it doesn't have any fasteners. Blue is my favourite colour so it goes with almost everything in my wardrobe. I've been wearing it to work a lot this month, and am getting plenty of admiring comments about it. Isn't it pretty?

Then my friend Ann - whom I rarely get to see because she lives in America, but whose friendship I treasure so much - put together this fantastic digital scrapbook page of all my feet photos from 2007. I love it! You can see more of her scrapbook pictures in her online gallery. Thank you Ann!

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After a day round at Gill's before the start of term, O decided to spend the last of her Christmas money on this kit to make your own fairy people. With only very minimal help from me with the wire cutters, she made four wonderful fairies last week. I think Gill must have taught her well. Here they are in the fruit bowl. They tend to make random appearances around the house - like proper fairies possibly?

And then most excitingly, since our trip to Liberty's fabric and wool department in December, I have been egging my mother on to knit some socks. Everyone seems to be at it lately - these blogs have been particularly inspiring. Mum bought two lots of sock wool and has just finished the first pair for herself - aren't they wonderful? They look so warm and soft, and the self patterning wool is extremely clever. She has now made a start on a pair for me....

Keep up the good work, chaps! I will post some pictures of the quilt once it is underway.

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As if the necklace wasn't enough, last night Anna gave me this blog award - thank you!

I am meant to nominate people in turn and then write seven surprising things about myself. All the people I would want to nominate have been given the award already; but as I can't resist a list, here are seven surprising (possibly) things about me:

• I love eating offal - kidney, liver, tongue, sweetbreads. Most people clap their hands over their mouths in horror when I tell them this.
• Both my children were born at home rather than in hospital. Both times the registrar at the town hall didn't believe me and had to cross out their entries in the birth register and start again.
• I have never been to Spain.
• I can ring Church bells.
• I still occasionally get G and his twin brother muddled up. As do the children.
• There was once a warrant issued for my arrest by the American immigration service. On returning to Canada after a day trip to America I forgot to hand in an apparently vital, but completely forgettable small square of paper. The next time I arrived in America there was quite some excitement, I can tell you.
• My secret crush is on Bruce Parry from the BBC series, Tribe. I am quite a fan.