Parrot in a cage

We have had no internet for a week and it has been really odd - I had not realised just how much we use this wretched machine ! When the new router finally arrived yesterday and we went on line again 170 emails came through, quite overwhelming, emails concerning George's Rotary Club, the church, Open Studios, Luncheon Club, MESCH, etc. quite apart from mail from friends and family. And DD1 came for the weekend so it was only this afternoon that I got to my sewing machine and produced this little fellow. It is part of the work I am doing for Cottenham Textiles in Focus, this is the third attempt as after I had disolved the Romeo the first two did not seem colourful enough. I then had quite a struggle to get him safely behind bars -

but I got him there eventually although he does not look too happy! I have called him Kevin and I am undecided whether to leave him like this with a rather weird stunted tail or to add a few feathers like this -

What shall I do? I think I am inclined to go for the feathers.

It has been a funny week, no computer, miserable weather, the funeral of a friend who died very suddenly, rotten news in the papers, a wonderful massage from one of my favourite people and a nice supper party. So a really mixed bag. I have just finished reading Marrying the Mistress by Joanna Trollope, I think it is the first book of hers I have ever read and I really enjoyed it.

My daughter brought me a super little gizmo which I saw in my grandson's flat at Uni - a sock dryer. It has 20 pegs suspended from a ring and I can peg all the socks onto the one hanger in the warmth of the kitchen then whop it on the line where it is easy to retrieve if it starts to rain! I'm tickled pink with it - it doesn't take much to please me! Funny though, when I came to peg the socks on somehow I had 21 socks, now how can that be? Why is there always one sock which lurks in the laundry basket? Another one of life's great mysteries.