Memories

I’ve been in a reflective mood today, knitting can do that to you, especially stocking stitch and as I’ve been knitting I’ve been watching TV.  At the end of my programme the screen saver pops up on the Apple TV and shows some of our old photos of Yorkshire, Fountains Abbey and the Lake District.  This has probably encouraged my thoughts a little but anyway I thought I’d share them with you all, they are quite nice.

Anyhoo, just got the second sleeve for Coraline to knit now, won’t be long till I have to concentrate as I attempt the smocking bit, there’ll be no TV then!

Seasonal Confuzzlement

After 5 years of living here the upside-down seasons still manage to confuzzle me.  I think of October and I think of shorter daylight hours, turning leaves, toffee apples and witches on broomsticks, greys and browny-oranges the smell of smoke as people make bonfires of their prunings.  Instead I am greeted with spring and new life, daffodils and blossoms.  My crabapple tree and jasmine are full of buds and new blooms heralding the spring.

Pretty though…

Oh, talking of pretty, the knitting, yes, knitting is also happening. I’ve started the first sleeve of Coraline.  In fact as I have 5 whole days off, I might get a fair bit of knitting done, fingers crossed.

ttfn x

Tea Time Treat

Our local supermarket is now stocking a small selection of Mr Kiplings cakes.  So lately with my mug of Yorkshire tea, I have been enjoying mini Battenburgs and cherry bakewell tarts.

Yum, it’s amazing what little things cheer you up when you’re homesick.

On Homesickness

 

So I have just finished my assignment on cultural safety and it has brought to the surface many emotions I have been feeling regarding being homesick.  I have read for example, that it is completely normal to feel depressed, isolated, angry, resentful, withdrawn and irrational following the culture shock of migration and I completely agree, I have felt and still feel all of these emotions.  

Often in conversation with new people I have been asked “how long have I been here, do I like it, do I plan to stay?”  My polite English side cringes as my more dominant Yorkshire “call a spade a shovel” side replies “too long, no and no”.  This usually gets the backs up of the patriotic Australians.  The thing they don’t get however, is that homesickness is not about where you are, it’s about where you are not. If Australia was the greatest country on Earth I would still miss home, miss my family, miss the rain, miss the history, miss the culture (with a big and little c) miss hearing other Yorkshire accents, miss the food, miss not having to try so hard all the time, miss being accepted as just me and not “the whinging pom”, miss just being in Yorkshire.  I can’t help it, I can’t switch it off and I can’t pretend that I feel otherwise.  

So there you have it, what started out as an exciting adventure has become a prison sentence, I feel trapped and lonely and desperate and I only have myself to blame.

Thought I would share some memories of happier times.

 

Our last Christmas Day in Yorkshire

 

                                                                          Fountains Abbey, North Yorkshire

By the way the best ice cream in the world can be found near Fountains Abbey a place called Brymore Ice cream, if you’re near there go in, my favourite is clotted cream flavour.

I need to knit now.

Mother's Day

Hello Fiona,

Well it’s Mothers Day here and I have spent the day very indulgently, minding my own business and pleasing myself.  I did a tension square of the Malabrigo in colour “Little Lovely” for the pattern “Pink” by Wendy Bernard from her “Custom Knits” book.  Amazingly, I managed to get the required 18 stitches to 4 inches, but I only got 27 rows in 4 inches instead of 28 rows but that’s OK because being a top down knit in the round jumper I can try it on as I go and adjust a little.  The yarn I have to say is sooo squishy and gorgeous it feels really lovely to work with and the colour is lush.

A Little Pink Loveliness

I also finished my Noro So Called Scarf today but I am deciding whether to put a fringe on the ends, what do you think?

So Called Scarf modelled by crab apple tree in blossom

Do you think it is normal for crab apples to blossom in Autumn?  Another weird thing is, you know how the seasons are all back to front and upside down here, well I bought a pot of tulips and a pot of hyacinths yesterday from my supermarket, thinking oh, mothers day = Spring which has been the case for the majority of my years, just to hear lovely hubby say, “but it’s Autumn, not Spring!”  Do you think they are out to confuse and baffle me more?

I am still working at Warmth throw for youngest teenmonster I’ll post photo’s when it has progressed a bit more.  Anyhoo, I sat and knitted all day and watched “Calendar Girls” the film about the women’s institute nude calendar and drooled over the gorgeous Yorkshire landscape in the background.  I drank copious amounts of Yorkshire tea and munched on chocolate hobnobs, a gift from a lovely new friend of mine who is also a homesick Yorkshire Lass.  All in all a blissful day.  To Mother’s everywhere ” Happy Mother’s Day”, hope yours was as blissful as mine.

Happy Knitting

Melanie x