a whole lot of serendipity

This week has just flown by for me, and I have to say it has been a most eventful week.

It began with my beautiful Arliah's 6th Birthday party last saturday. We actually had scheduled her picnic party by the pool for the Sunday, but when I arrived at school with the invitations (on her birthday-day), another mum had just handed around her son's birthday party invitations, scheduled for the very same day, at same time as ours! OK, not to be miffed by this, i had to re-jig our arrangements as there was no budging the other fence.. a little rearranging with interstate visitors, and swapping of plans & a few phone calls is really all it took, but i have to say tho, it did ruffle my feathers for a bit.. i can't stand confrontation, and it was Arly's birthday, our birthday ( i always celebrate my childrens' birthdays as the day i gave birth) and i didn't really appreciate the hole in my stomach i felt after being "told" to move my party by the other mother on our special day. Anyway, luckily everyone could still make the Saturday - phew! I shook the oil off my feathers.

The day came and the weather was perfectly hot, a great day for splashing in our little local outdoor swimming pool, a treasure hunt in the park, a shared picnic & over 20 friends to share it with! The best part was i didn't have to clean my house after excitable little party-goers *-* I even got to have my first swim of the season by revisiting the country-side pool I fondly recall from when M & I lived here 8 years ago BC - it's wonderful having that 'place' become a memory for my children too.

The next morning I took my 3 munchkins, mum & sis to the Magpie Market at the local school.. we arrived to a sea of 2nd-hand treasures spread across the entire school ground.. I knew I had to reign in the spendings, as I'm a junkie for a good fossick! The live Jazz music set the scene for a morning of wandering & pondering, dreaming of treasures i could turn into a new yarn, or make something else from. I met with a friend who has a new rammed-earth studio-space up for possible hire next year for my new spinning & dyeing workshops (can you tell i am trying to contain the glee - she lives seriously 2 blocks up & over the highway from me.. and is the most fantastic feltmaker! oh!!)

Then, just as the beaming midday-sun was becoming too hot for me, & the faintness i was feeling due to thrifty-zing getting the better of me, I turned the corner to find a Brolga spinning wheel standing proud before me. I have never heard of a Brolga wheel, the plate said manufactured in SA.. but it didn't matter because it was the cutest little saxony i had ever seen! I slowly inched toward the price note tucked under the footman, so as to not appear too zealous. AU$38. The vendor proceeded to tell me how he fixed it up with new screws & put a new treadle plate on.. "i was going to put a nice pot-plant onto it", he said.. i'll give it to you for $34. Before I could say anything, the wheel was firmly under my grasp and I was skipping though the lane way grinning smugly!

I made like tour de force with this little spinner! (& yup, I nearly swore when i saw this pic resembles a bike!!)

My only falter was how was I going to explain to M that i really do need 3 spinning wheels, and that we absolutely actually do have room for it in out floor-space deprived mountains cottage. He met me with a wink!
SO, all it needed was a flyer, I fitted my standard Ashford (i use my jumbo all the time now on my Traveller) and woo, we're in business!! I immediately took it for a spin, while the sleepy-eyed littles were a'slumber. I got all excited, that I looked at the clock, and the 2hour weaving exhibition I wanted to see was to be over in an hour.. run baby run...

All along I have been feeling the serendipity of my weekend, changing plans has turned out to be for the better, as is often the case - we just need reminding that life is fickle, always changing & obstacles are indeed presenting us with new opportunities.. it's a matter of viewpoint..

to be continued next post...