“Sometimes, people come up to me when I am knitting and they say things like, “Oh, I wish I could knit, but I’m just not the kind of person who can sit and waste time like that.” How can knitting be wasting time? First, I never just knit; I knit and think, knit and listen, knit and watch. Second, you aren’t wasting time if you get a useful or beautiful object at the end of it. I will remember that not everyone understands. I will resist the urge to ask others what they do when they watch TV.” 

This is what Madiba would have wanted.

The post Madiba Magic! appeared first on 'ear 'ear! by Gaynor Young.

Norene Blom lives in the flat opposite me. She is a lovely girl with a sparkle in her eye and a ready smile. I like her! Whenever I go away, she very kindly “bird-sits” for me. Spencer, my cockatiel, can be an extraordinary pain. Whenever a “new” person is in his vicinity he shouts loudly, loving the attention he duly gets. He can be a very loud companion at times!

I must just tell you a bit about Spencer. He was given to me by Nola Muller when my previous cockatiel, Pandora, died. Nola told me that Spencer was a girl and so she was duly christened: Lady Jane Grey. Lady Jane and I got on really well. In the mornings while lying in bed with my coffee I would whistle Bridge over the River Kwai to her and pretty soon she was whistling it back to me. I was delighted. When I flew to visit Mum and Dad in George, Lady Jane obviously came too. Lady Jane gave them a full rendition of Bridge over the River Kwai and they were duly impressed, as I knew they would be. Mum said to me: “That is marvellous. But, Gaynor, you do realise that female birds can’t sing.”

“What do you mean?”

“Female birds can’t sing. This is a male bird.”

And that was when Lady Jane Grey became Spencer!

Now, I have diverted somewhat. Back to my flat mate, Norene! I noticed that she had a beautiful cover on her bed made up of cream and brown knitted squares. I remarked on it and she told me that her mother had knitted it for her. When I then met her Mum I commented on it. Her mother, Carleen, said to me: “You like it? Okay, I will knit you one. What colours would you like?”

“What colours? Glory!” I said, “Um…well, lots of different colours. Red, blue, green, purple. A mish-mash of colours.”

“Okay, I’ll see what I can come up with.”

“Wow, thanks!” I said not really expecting her to follow through. I then went overseas for three weeks. I had a wonderful time but it was so good coming back and walking into my own apartment once more. Before going away I had spent eight weeks at my Mother’s home due to my broken hands. I wasn’t able to wet my hands so Mum had to bath me. This was the first time in eleven weeks that I was back “home” again. I put my case down in my lounge and surveyed my surroundings. Oh, it looked good. I took my coat off and walked into my bedroom. I stopped in amazement. The most lovely, bright and colourful bedspread met my eyes. Carleen had followed through and created the most beautiful cover for this woman she barely knew.

I was totally gobsmacked! What a gift. She had sat knitting those squares by hand for a girl she had met just once, and created this wonder!

A unique gift coming from an enormous hearted person.

I treasure that blanket.

The post A Blanket of Love! appeared first on 'ear 'ear! by Gaynor Young.