12 Days of Christmas, Day 6, St. Stephen's Day

Oh the simple joy of waking up on St Stephen's Day and knowing all the fuss is over. The kiddos and husband got their presents yesterday,  the two big dinners ( Swedish Julbord on Christmas Eve and The Turkey and Ham on Christmas Day) are over and done. There is a small amount of leftovers, enough for the family to eat today.
So this morning I can get up and start doing other stuff, like laundry and crafting and go for a cycle!
I got DS off his PlayStation and we went for a cycle, about 5 miles. Irish country roads have their own hazards, including, but not limited to, narrow stretches, bends, mad dogs running out of gateways while their owners are in town/ sitting indoors, farmers' sons driving huge tractors on small roads and car drivers with no patience .
Stephens Day was a good day to go for a cycle, as it turned out. No mad dogs, thankfully. Not much traffic. The gods smiled on us and we got home safe after a lovely cycle on a mild bright day.
Tomorrow, the swimming pool will reopen and we will swim instead of cycle.
Tonight I want to finish my scrap lap blanket and get some spinning done, maybe even warp my Rigid Heddle loom.
Apologies for lack of photos today. I may be able to add them in tomorrow.

From Holland with love: Ariadne Spinning wheel, from the 1970's probably.
Look at that flyer! The bobbins are large and I got 8 of them!
Purchased from a seller on markplaats.nl November 2018.

12 Days of Christmas 2018: Christmas Day and signs of spring

Christmas Day 2018 was a lovely mild day in Limerick. The sun came out and the sky was a pale watery blue.
Dinner was had, and a walk, and signs of spring were spotted.
These catkins are growing on a Hazel bush in my garden.

These old stones caught my eye, the texture and the colours. 

Wishing you all a peaceful Christmas.

12 Days of Christmas, 2018. Day 4: Christmas Eve.
Day 1 was last Friday.
Day 2 was Saturday. I had a lovely morning at home and got my walk, followed by a brief visit to my mum and sister, then another  brisk walk and swim at the pool. I did a bit of knitting that evening. I worked a bit on a scrap lap blanket to use in the car for myself when driving. Nothing exciting. DD#1 came home for the holidays.
 Day 3 Sunday 23rd. I went to church for 4th Sunday of Advent. Then there was a trip to town for some presents and food shopping.
Later I went to my parents' house and met 4 of my siblings and their families. There was plenty driving too, as I had to collect DD#2 in the afternoon and then drive her to another friend later in the evening. Not much time for crafting, but so glad to have time off work.
Day 4: Monday 24th, Christmas Eve. Today is the day Swedes eat their Christmas dinner, or Julbord, and so today we had our usual Swedish spread: ham, meatballs, Janssons frestelse ( a potato dish with anchovies and onions), and the trimmings: red cabbage, beetroot, cheeses, knäckebröd, ( crispbread) and some precious bottles of the Swedish festive drink , Julmust ( looks like Coca Cola, tastes a little different).

Now that we are all home and all the shopping is done, it feels so wonderful to have time to do something of my own choosing, maybe read, or craft, or just reflect. 
Happy Christmas everyone.

And so it begins again. 12 days of Christmas, 2018.

Day 1: Yes indeed, the hands of time turn, and here I am, one year older and with a few more spinning wheels purchased.
It would appear that I don't get the time to blog during the rest of the year, apologies for the lack of presence in here.
I think too that it has to do with the fact that I first started reading blogs at Christmas and I think I associate blogs with Christmas.
It may also be because I have deactivated my Facebook pages and I seem to still have the need to communicate my thoughts, so I come back to the blog. So, I am back, for a while.

I got my school holidays today, phew. My voice and brain get two weeks rest from talking and comforting and making sense of endless playground disputes.
Over the next weeks, my aims are to rest, be present in the moment, get a walk every day, feel the ancient land around me, swim, lie on the floor and achieve some spinning and weaving every day.
I hope to show you some of my spinning wheels and looms. And I need to work through the stash and read some books. 
Today, to start with, here is a photo of my Bliss single treadle wheel  from Woolmakers.com, with some divine teal coloured singles on the bobbins. The fiber was from John Arbon  in UK.