present and games
I called on my next door neighbours this afternoon. Kate is expecting their third child, next month, so I knitted them a baby blanket. I used (part of) one of the vast, rugby ball sized balls of Aran yarn I was given by Sarah M when she had to quit knitting. I've had them for years, and it's nice to find a use for some of it, and to reduce the space they've been taking up in my yarn stash. I used spider stich, which is attractive and light, and bordered it with double crochet.
Kate likes nice handcrafted stuff, and said it was just right for the pram. I can't remember quite how large it is - about 100cm x 75cm, I think.
I also loaned them a USB stick with some photos on of the family. I took some of Andrew, his dad and the two children, Emily (nearly 3) and George (4 1/2), washing their car together. There's a nice one of Emily at last autumn's street party and one of chalk outlines of the children, drawn on the road and coloured in, also from that street party. I included film of the tug-of-war at the street party, which Andrew took part in, and of Andrew gliding down the Crescent and past our houses on skis earlier this year.
Gary came over this evening, and after dinner, we had an old-fashioned games evening. First we played Cribbage, which I've never played before, and which Gary was only vaguely familiar with (we did have a couple of sets of rules). I bought a nice wooden cribbage board while we were staying with Carey in the Cotwolds last year. It's been stored in amongst other games and I keep forgetting I have it. We played about four games and I enjoyed them. It's a good game for two players and we were evenly matched.
After that, we played a games of dominoes - just the most basic version, though we have played others. We used the Cribbage board to keep score and thoroughly enjoyed both games.
I said to Gary that when I write westerns I like to show characters playing more than just poker. I've mentioned Keno, and had characters play Faro in saloons. Previous Darrow books have mentioned chess and the latest one features both backgammon and euchre. I think checkers has also been mentioned. Cribbage and dominoes could be making an appearance in a western near you soon :)
Kate likes nice handcrafted stuff, and said it was just right for the pram. I can't remember quite how large it is - about 100cm x 75cm, I think.
I also loaned them a USB stick with some photos on of the family. I took some of Andrew, his dad and the two children, Emily (nearly 3) and George (4 1/2), washing their car together. There's a nice one of Emily at last autumn's street party and one of chalk outlines of the children, drawn on the road and coloured in, also from that street party. I included film of the tug-of-war at the street party, which Andrew took part in, and of Andrew gliding down the Crescent and past our houses on skis earlier this year.
Gary came over this evening, and after dinner, we had an old-fashioned games evening. First we played Cribbage, which I've never played before, and which Gary was only vaguely familiar with (we did have a couple of sets of rules). I bought a nice wooden cribbage board while we were staying with Carey in the Cotwolds last year. It's been stored in amongst other games and I keep forgetting I have it. We played about four games and I enjoyed them. It's a good game for two players and we were evenly matched.
After that, we played a games of dominoes - just the most basic version, though we have played others. We used the Cribbage board to keep score and thoroughly enjoyed both games.
I said to Gary that when I write westerns I like to show characters playing more than just poker. I've mentioned Keno, and had characters play Faro in saloons. Previous Darrow books have mentioned chess and the latest one features both backgammon and euchre. I think checkers has also been mentioned. Cribbage and dominoes could be making an appearance in a western near you soon :)