sniff, sniff

So I got my early birthday present from the kids...a cold! YAY! Little blighters! That's how they repay me for looking after them when they were sick! And Friday is my busy day up at school (which I think I'm just going to have to pull the plug on). And it's hardly ever my birthday on a Saturday (at least it seems so to me) and I'm not sure if I'll be up to doing anything. BOO HOO. I'm just going to curl up on the couch with a blanket. I'd love to read and to finish Mansfield Park which seems to go on forever (and I'm sure can only end badly-one of the few Austen books I haven't read before) but it takes a bit more brain power to read than I feel capable of right now.

Hopefully a good rest will have me feeling bright and chipper ready for a day to be showered with gifts (subtle humour there; I have no expectations of any gifts although Kit and Ella did take a handful of quarters to spend at the school store this morning so I may end up with a few pencils and pencil grips!). Darling Hubby admitted to me this morning that he hadn't got me anything (always says that the day before my birthday/christmas) and that the problem with where he was working was that he couldn't just duck out at lunch and get me something like he usually does. Oh I am so spoiled. I shouldn't complain, their hearts are in the right places. I will probably get a nice breakfast made for me (usually I make breakfast on the weekends) and a lovely dinner whether it be out at a restaurant or cooked by my Beloved at home.

And I have to say darling 12 year old Oscar has cooked dinner for me 3 times this week as I have been feeling under the weather, but then it may be to try and make up for the other things he does as a 12 year old boy...Oh I am dreading the next...hmm...12 years....I am sure the last 12 have been a doddle compared to what is to come!

And my mum asked about needle felting. For those who haven't seen or heard of it before, it is SO simple. The only thing you need is a needle felting needle (they are REALLY sharp and pointy with tiny little barbs around the point). You have to use felt underneath (or something that will felt) and you just lay bits of fleece as you wish over the top. With a piece of foam underneath the whole thing (as the needle is REALLY sharp and you have to protect your work surface, or leg) you just continually stab the bit you wish to felt. As the needle passes in and out of the wool, the barbs felt it. It's great. I've only done it flat, but you can actually sculpt fleece 3 dimensionally too, by pushing it into the shape you desire and using the needle. Here's my finished first go: a little cushion. I sewed in a little bit of gold thread too, not sure if I like it better that way or not. I got to use up little scraps of brightly dyed wool that I bought way back in 2000 and which I first learned to spin with. I've been carrying them around ever since and it was so good to used them.

Well off to have a honey and lemon and lavender hot drink (tastes disgusting, but the lavender really helps to kill off those bugs) and much preferable to gargling DETOL which my step mum used to make us do if we had a sore throat. Diluted of course. I once told Matt to do that as he was complaining about a sore throat and I forgot to tell him to dilute it. He lost his taste for a week. Seriously...couldn't taste ANYTHING. Lavender is much more gentle.

Have a great weekend, and sorry about the whinge!