I thought I might have heard from Tottie by now since I’d
given her my address before leaving. She must have worked out her notice, and
she had mentioned something about researching for a book. Most likely she’s
gone into hibernation for the winter and I can’t blame her for that. I suppose
I was a bit grumpy during the summer months with her constant dropping in, but
now I find I quite miss her showing interest in what I’m up to. I had hoped in
my absence she might head down to London and do a little article on my latest
show, but not a word. Then I tell myself, why would she be interested beyond
her work? I think I was reading too much into this friendship and yet she was
full of questions about Charley and his family.
My visit to WA is already half way through, the time has
been well spent with this my second family. The sketch pad is filling up, the
stitching is my constant companion, and I even managed to sell a few of my old
paintings that remained from previous exhibitions I’ve had in WA. A trip down
to Walpole and the giant Tingle trees meant I could once again say hello to
these most impressive of trees.
I have in the past spent hours sitting quietly
sketching them, and during one very still early morning I could swear I heard
them talking in a low mumble. This time I felt sure they knew I had returned,
and yet I hear you ask could know that. Well if I felt it that’s good enough
for me. I knew from the outset this trip would be a great mixture of emotional
reunions and equally difficult goodbyes, but I am so glad I took that opportunity
when it presented itself as doable. I feared that the heat of summer would
increase my hot flushes, but they seem to have been within bounds, and there
has always been the pool or ocean to cool off in. Hopefully in the New Year I
will have plenty of opportunities to swim again in the cooler Southern Ocean
when we head off to Bremmer Bay for a week. It must be fifteen years since I’ve
been there, the first time I stayed on the campsite and received my first experience
of a bull ant bight, not one to be repeated. Later trips gave rise to several oils, all of which sold.
Christmas is likely to be a much larger gathering than I’m
used to, and a big contrast to a quiet day without presents, spent with my
brother in Cornwall. Hear the decorations are up; lights on the tree and
presents under, wreaths at the windows and homemade Christmas pudding hanging
in the larder. The organisation has been ordered and a drive to keep things
simple is our goal. Thankfully the temperature that are now in the mid 30’s are
due to abate and drop back to a pleasant 24 on the day.
Meanwhile I continue stitching and am nearing the completion of another rather complex stump work ticking sampler. I am constantly trying to push the boundaries and this example is the first that has taken on a totally symmetrical form. The initial idea was to have two birds perched on the entrance post of a house, but since the stitching of these samplers is a slow process the chances are that it will always become complex as all good samplers should.