11th January: Ten Things of Thankful

Ten things for which I give thanks this week…

1 – The Jasmine seems to be holding its own against some quite sharp frosts…

2 – Indoors, we have been enjoying the scent from this lovely basket of bulbs – a Christmas present…

3 – I sent off for a tapestry circle so that I could begin the Hooking Kit my sister Helen sent for Christmas – it is, as it says on the tin, most therapeutic…

4 – The named storm passed us by this week and we have had no snow this year…

5 – We were pet sitting young Winnie, our daughter’s Border Collie for a few hours yesterday, she is now old enough to travel in the footwell of the car calmly…

6 – Hereabouts, each Yorkshire stone quarry marks its dressed stone with a different marking – ours has simple parallel lines of dashes – photographed in yesterday’s welcome sun…

7 – The Poets Pub has started prompting again after the Christmas break – I typed up a poem from my writing group about “a time I was in danger” – a sailing story in which I wisely turned back – else I might not be here to tell the tale (for which I am grateful)…

8 – Grateful for the TTOF – especially on a dark, dank day like today…

9 – Grateful that I will be having my bi-weekly chat with my sister in Nova Scotia and trusting that even if Trump invades Canada, she will be safely remote there…

10 – Grateful that the tide of opinion seems to be turning against Trump and his dictatorship and crossing my fingers that the American people will find the right action to take to restore democracy and rebuild the damage at home and abroad…

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10 thoughts on “11th January: Ten Things of Thankful

  • January 11, 2026 at 11:06 pm
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    I can practically smell those flowers through the computer screen!

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    • January 12, 2026 at 2:51 pm
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      It’s lovely Kristi!

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  • January 12, 2026 at 2:26 am
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    Craft hobbies that involve rhythm like knitting/ crocheting/ rug hooking generally make us feel calm or addicted to the regular movements. As you gain experience, you’ll be drawing your own patterns for new rug projects. This skill is a useful gift that keeps on giving the crafter wonderful projects to do (and gift to others).

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    • January 12, 2026 at 2:53 pm
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      I can imagine moving up to rug projects, but this one is small – hessian size holes but it is quite quick to do… I will show it when finished…

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  • January 12, 2026 at 2:38 am
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    ah crafts (and crafting) while I recognize the clear therapeutic benefits, I suspect they (the crafts and the crafters) must be possessed of a certain pre-existing calmness, if not outright serenity.
    the weather (southern New England) while cold has spared us the snow… it seems in the past it has been more snow but higher (average) temperature.
    Would rather contend with the cold than the snow, as it can change much more rapidly

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    • January 12, 2026 at 2:54 pm
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      Well I was hoping for one decent snowfall, if only for the photographic possibilities…

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  • January 12, 2026 at 12:16 pm
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    Lovely list! I picked up a bouquet before Christmas and it’s still fresh looking. It’s Lovely for winter cheers.

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    • January 12, 2026 at 2:56 pm
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      I am going to move them to a cooler windowsill once the flowers are finished and then hope to grow them outside next year…

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  • January 12, 2026 at 3:36 pm
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    I came home to discover all the orchids blooming. This happens every time that we go away for an extended period of time — the orchids rejoice and burst into bloom. Your jasmine look very healthy. We were very lucky that the storm swept north of us. It was darned cold but no snow. Lots of wind though. No damage.

    Hope the week is kind to you, Andrew.

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    • January 16, 2026 at 11:45 am
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      Perhaps the orchids get slightly stressed with you being away and that brings them into bloom. I have some small orchids that have been without flowers for over a year but have just now grown new spikes!
      The week was kind until yesterday, when Trading Standards called in unannounced and found fault with some of our labelling of products (behaving like little Hitlers too) and I will have to devote several of my days off to rectifying things – still I will take time off next week instead.

      Reply

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