January 27th to 31st

I'm busy unpacking, finding more treasures and making a tiny little bit of space in the container.
Several empty boxes and wads of packaging paper are taken to recycling and five boxes go to charity, full of things I have been doing without for so long now that I really can continue to do without.

Among the treasures I'm finding are more photos. I find 'selfies' from back in the days when taking a selfie involved running to and fro between the spot and the camera. I think it was somehow more rewarding.

Back then, I actually used to have plenty of occasion to wear such dresses.

I used to do a lot of tailoring too.

And knitting, of course. If I'm not mistaken, that red dress - knitted without pattern - is still around somewhere. I'll just have to try and fit into it again.

 

When I was not sewing or knitting, I busied myself with other crafts, dried flower arrangements being a winter favourite.

The most exciting day in all this unpacking was of course the one when I found some of my art gear!

Just look at the beautiful pastels. The trick now, is to make room somewhere to work. No small feat, but it will be done.

Finding the asparagus pot prompted me to go out and buy some expensive, skinny bunches of asparagus. I had bought the pot in Switzerland, on one of my trips home, at a time when we had asparagus coming out of our ears. 

I took up pottery around the same time as I started drawing classes, in the early 90s.
I'm very happy that the old boot survived the big move undamaged.
Now, I'd better find another 'sock plant' to put in it.
Please note the little mouse coming out of the toe. That was my idea of creating a drainage hole.

A little later I took a few book binding classes. This here was a visual diary, made with water colour paper.
It has remained virgin because I never wanted to mess it up.

With the help of my first computer, scanner and printer, I also created a pocket size diary for my mum, sporting my earliest drawings and paintings - one for each week, if I remember correctly.
I know my mum never threw it out. It'll turn up one of these days.

All of these things, I did besides all the fruit and vegetable picking and packing and delivering, besides eggs and ducks marketing, besides caring for animals and doing housework...........
it wears me out just thinking about it all now.