Home Body

I ventured out into the real world yesterday and discovered that while there are interesting things out there, I really am just a homebody who longs to get home to her hermitage in the hills.

Tammy, Carlos and I went to a Mexican place in the Glebe for lunch. I had the Mexican Flag (enchiladas) and loved the whole dish ... especially the green and creamy white sauces. Then we headed off to the textile artists' show where we met up with Yvonne and her friend. There were really innovative things being woven.

Predictably, I was drawn to the felting exhibits, and learned a few new things about constructing shapes and the variety of bases on which to build. Several people were weaving and felting with dog hair. One was making cat toys with it.

But I was also intrigued by the work of Denise Atkinson who weaves metals into beautiful jewellery, especially her chain link bracelet woven from several metals. It felt like fabric it was so soft on my wrist. My urge to buy it was restrained by a lack of cash. And really, where would I wear it anyway? Mary Ann obviously had places to go and people to see for she bought a gift there and a piece of sea glass jewellery for herself.

Tammy bought scraps of felting wool and silkworm cocoons to incorporate into her own art, and Yvonne bought felted mittens and a great pair of lime green felted slippers. Carlos tried on brightly coloured felted hats with Mercury wings, but, like me, he came home empty handed. My pockets, however, were filled with the cards of felting suppliers and a hastily made-up card from Denise. That chain link bracelet keeps on whispering sweet nothings in my ear.

I decided to try making felted slippers myself and maybe incorporating silkworm cocoons into the design. They won't be as wonderful as the $200 custom made slippers with the elfin faces that Yvonne didn't buy or as glorious as the ones she did buy, but they will be fun to have for guests to put on when they leave their boots at the door.

It was late afternoon when we left, and the others continued on to the Market for coffee and another art show there. I just wanted to go home ... so I picked up Kenya at Tammy's and headed back up to the hills. They were predicting freezing rain for today so I parked 1/4 kilometre away to avoid the need to climb a slippery hill with summer tires.

Today I am going to get down to the job of reading the first book for the book club: Your Brain on Music. Why does it feel suddenly as if I have homework? Maybe because I had started to read another book I was finding really interesting? Or maybe because there is a deadline? Or maybe I have simply become really self indulgent in my old age. Maybe I like the sensation of floating through life with as few boundaries or restrictions as possible.

Anyway my day will be spent reading the book, going out to a neighbourhood coffee party at 10:30, and fitting in dog walks between the rain drops. And I might just design the first pair of slippers.