Ridgeway Cottage anyhow

It wouldn't be December without some kind of advent celebration. I'm done with the overpriced hugely commercial sponsored by Cadburys / Thortons chocolate before breakfast calendars but have yet to persuade the children that there is another way. I don't really know the full history of advent but it's interesting to note that if you do start to google it, "the history of advertising" comes out as the top hit which I think says a lot about the whole count down to Christmas. What with the time of year and the stresses and strains of my working life, I have found myself not really feeling that well. So following all I discovered in Wovember and the therapeutic effect of knitting and getting back to nature, I'm stepping back from the hustle and bustle of 24 shopping days left to Christmas and taking things one stitch at a time. I came home from work early yesterday, thoroughly crushed and Shinybees Podcast came to the rescue with Frankenadvent soc...

November has been hard for me this year. Despite immersing myself in the ethos of Wovember, I've struggled. Life is always a learning process and my own quirks are can really bring me down sometimes. We all suffer from perfectionism but even trying to think about the last day that I haven't cried at points throughout the day brings me to tears so I know things are not right. Wooden heart from the Black Forest I like the switch in acceptance that is creeping into society. I'm not a massive fan of supermarkets but it makes me smile to see the shelves filled with mindful colour therapy. If it weren't for art, colour and creativity, November would be a very dark time. It doesn't legitimately have the delightful glitz and sparkle of December (although I know Christmas is in the shops). My exploration into yarn, fibre and podcasts that provide a wealth of information inevitably led me to Wooful. It's a wonderful insight into a whole new world that has opened...

 When one has suffered depression, unhelpful thoughts are rather like an over stuffed cupboard, ready to spill all over the floor at any given moment. For most people, an injured foot is just an inconvenience which can easily be resolved by some rest and ice, but for me it's another battle against the ghosts and difficulties that linger, casting shadows over my attempts to be upbeat and dismissive about a simple accident. So as I sit here with my ice pack on my swollen and bruised foot, with my tear stained face in a fog of doom and gloom, I am wondering to myself, "What would Audrey do?" . After all, if I am to be sitting around all day with my foot on pillows, I should really consider trying to make the most of my time. Moreover as my life today is not going to be a thrilling whirl of society events (I'm not even going to make it to the WI AGM tonight), then I shall look to elegant inspirational figures such as Audrey Hepburn, visit all my favourite blogs and explo...