Time slipping through our fingers

I't's Friday again, it's almost December, the year's end is in sight.  How has this happened?  Where's the time gone?  And why does it seem to be slipping through our fingers so quickly?  I just don't seem to be able to get a grip of it.

Perhaps I'm not supposed to.  Maybe I just need to ensure I make the most of every second, every minute and every day, and go to bed knowing that I didn't waste the most precious gift we have - time.  It's a thought that's with me constantly.

N and I are both aware that now we are not working for a living, the time we have should be well spent.  We go through periods where we feel we have not made the best use of our time, and that frustrates us, as we know we should do better.  We have come to the realisation that we would actually benefit from a certain amount of structure in our weeks - there are times when we lose track of what day it is.  It's strange that having left a job that was very highly structured, we're now feeling that some degree of structure can actually be helpful.  So, this week we have made some decisions and taken one or two steps to try to address this; we're excited about these prospects and hopefully can share our plans soon.

In the meantime, N has been pottering in his shed reconstructing the bird-box he made earlier in the autumn.  While he was busy, with the shed door open to make the most of the sunny day, he was delighted to have some company in the shape of the little robin who has been frequenting the garden recently.  The robin hopped right inside the shed to check the woodwork was up to scratch!  It's little moments like this that we have learned to really appreciate.

The jumper, before it was unpicked this evening!

I have a number of needlework projects on the go and try to add a little to each one every day.  N's jumper is becoming a labour of love; it's been unpicked more  than any other knitting project I've done before, and this evening I've had to unpick yet more.  This, I am learning, is the problem of not working to a pattern!  I'm sure it is teaching me patience - a quality I don't always have huge amounts of - and as the wool is so lovely to knit with, I guess it's just extending the pleasure of knitting for a little longer (although I would like to have it finished this side of Christmas!)

A couple of weeks ago, I cleaned the glass vases in the lounge, sorting through the shells and stones that we have collected on various holidays.  To solve the problem of dust gathering inside the vases, I decided to make some little cloth covers, weighted down with shells and stones.  I finished one today, and another is on it's way.  I had fun collected little stones with holes in them, and N has drilled tiny holes in some shells which I can also use.  At some point I shall probably do some embroidery on them too.

Yesterday we were on 'school-collection' duty, and spent a lovely couple of hours entertaining (or should that be, being entertained by?) grand-daughter No 1.  Grandad now knows all the members of 'One Direction'!!