Green Girl Gardener

Today didn’t start brilliantly. It’s an anniversary of sorts. Not a celebratory, fizz filled kind of anniversary, but rather one that I’d like to forget but am not able to. Two years ago I had a car that I loved. The first brand new car I’d ever had, the first that I’d chosen because it was the one I loved rather than the one I could afford, the first I felt excited to get in and drive. My ink blue Nissan Juke.

You can probably guess where this is going! Two years ago today I was involved in a car accident. A reasonably bad one. My poor Juke was written off by an HGV driver who pulled into the lane that I was in, took off the side of my baby, and then drove away and left me to deal with the fallout!

Now, obviously this could have been A LOT worse.

Firstly and most importantly, I am still here and secondly I wasn’t injured, physically or mentally. I’m lucky enough to have a naturally phlegmatic disposition so I didn’t really react at the time, although my emotions were definitely heightened for a while, and I did spend one journey to work about a week or so later in floods of tears over something minor that had upset me! Very out of character but maybe it needed to come out somehow.

Thirdly, whilst I loved the car, it was essentially a ton and a half of steel, plastic and glass. It was replaceable and now I have a car that I probably love even more. I went for the same make and model, but a different colour and a higher spec.

For 364 days of the year (there’s not been a leap year yet) I don’t often think of the accident even as I drive past where it happened, but I am reminded of it periodically when I get calls from accident claim companies – yep, still! After two years – and when my insurance is due because, although it wasn’t my fault, there was no one to claim against so from an insurer’s point of view it was an at fault claim! Very irritating and expensive! Having said all that, on the two 23rd Augusts since, it has been on my mind a lot. I scowl a lot at HGVs on this anniversary and shout at them if they get a bit too close for my liking.

So, what all of this gloom means, is that I was feeling a tad out of sorts this morning. A bit meh! Until, that is, I got to work and discovered this parcel of loveliness from Little Box of Crochet had been delivered. What fabulous timing!

I cancelled my Weight Watchers subscription this month so I could afford this instead! Much more beneficial, I’m sure you’ll agree! Slim, hungry, miserable and without crochet vs slightly lumpy and bumpy, full of homemade banana bread and giddy with crochet joy. Hmmmm ….. there’s really no choice!

I was really careful when I opened it to avoid damaging the crinkly, crumply tissue paper and the little sticker holding it all together.

How did I manage to hold the phone and have my other hand in the photo you ask? Turns out you can take a photo with your tongue, but I digress!

Inside the beautiful packaging is all this gorgeousness …..

Everything I need to crochet a notebook cover. The yarn, the hook (in wonderful yellow), the bodkin with its pointy end stowed safely in a little purple pompom, the pattern and even the notebook itself which will help me keep track of my wips (work in progress). There’s also a lovely spotty stitch marker to help me when I’m crocheting round and round and round, and a colourful postcard – Hell Yeah!

This is a monthly treat and this month’s was designed by Lucy at Attic24. If you’re into crochet, I urge you to check out her wonderful blog and if you’re not into crochet, check it out anyway because she’ll make you love crochet, colour and all other manners of making, baking and shaking (ok, maybe not the shaking but I love the rhyming!)

On the subject of crochet, I have a little friend to introduce to you. Meet Emma bunny.

Cutey pie huh? I’m not 100% happy with how I’ve sewn on the eyes and nose and I think she looks more like Jar Jar Binks than a bunny, but hey, I (controversially) love Jar Jar Binks so it’s not a bad thing and I’ll just have to practise sewing facial features.

Anyway, gotta fly, got a colourful notebook cover to make.