Crochet hats and thoughts of the sun

I have been crocheting hats up from the spare oddments of yarn that get left over the years and clutter up the drawers. They are just made from my ideas. Some colourways worked, some were a little iffy and one is definitely dodgy. I hope maybe to get a few bob from them if they sell on E bay. I was sorting out s few other items I made during the year to go on as well. (Have to pay the vet bills somehow and I don't think the red light in the porch and the fishnet tights idea will work - not much passing trade where I live!) Whilst I was holed up in the cold listening to the rain, crocheting and knitting away, I got an e mail from my cousin who is in northern Florida at the moment chatting about tans and sunshine!

Her husband was in the Navy and on his retirement they bought a boat and have been cruising around the world since 2000. This year they set off from Kingston, Ontario in May and went cruising the Great Lakes before going south again. She says they hope to be in Antigua by April but will leave their boat ashore there for the hurricane season and come home to Plymouth for a short time. It makes my life seem somewhat sedentary compared with hers. We started off life at the same time and used to play together as small children. I was always the daredevil tomboy hanging upside down from a tree and she was the ladylike little girl playing with her dolls. I would never have guessed that she would finish up sailing around the world in her retirement whilst I am sitting here crocheting. Good luck to her. She is enjoying her life and I am so jealous.

The dog has got his all clear from the vets. I just have to keep an eye on him to make sure his urinary problems don't return. He had his booster shot today so that was another £28 making his bill over £300 in all. No wonder I am joking about getting the fishnets out of retirement. At the moment it is all on my flexible friend but unfortunately they will want repaying eventually. I will have to check my many possessions for anything of value I can stick on E bay instead.

I have many ideas buzzing my head for items to make but my fingers don't seem to work as fast as they used to. Considering I no longer have to go out to work the day still rushes along and I don't seem to achieve much during the course of the day. Today I did a few more rows on Kevin's aran and stitched all the many tail ends in on the hats. Not much to show for a whole day's work, but then I did have to walk the dog twice, go to the vets and do a bit of housework as well. I found out my "new" car has a snag today. When I got in it to drive the dog to the vets I sat in a big wet patch! I presume it is either condensation from the glass on the sun roof or the roof is leaking! I will have to get Ian to have a look at it when he comes next time. I am not a fan of sun roofs as the last car where there was one fitted I practically had to drive with an umbrella up every time it rained.