A new bear................................

A short update today and something to share.
I have finally completed a new bear. Mignon is a slightly different pattern which I have not used for some time. I have trimmed her dress with fine vintage French lace and with the embroidery detail it looks very pretty. After three attempts I almost managed to achieve the hat I was looking for. The crochet flower trim and the little Dorothy bag add just the right finishing touch. She is now listed on e-bay and I hope she finds a new home.......
I will now have to get working on my Christmas creations as time is just flying past. I do have some ideas thanks to Megan!
Today we went to a garden centre just up the road to get some paving slabs for Mervyn's greenhouse and for the area of the garden just by the French door. The soil here is clay or more like glue, it attaches itself to my shoes in layers. As the grass is now looking very sad with the winter weather and there is mud everywhere, the paving slabs will help a little. The greenhouse is a rather different story. Mervyn is very bored with little to do so in my wisdom I suggested to Austin that an early Christmas present of a little plastic greenhouse might just keep him occupied. Great idea we all thought and the greenhouse duly arrived and was set up in the corner of the garden. I then realised that it would be too cold for most plants at this time of the year so the greenhouse would most probably need a heater. Oh well it is the thought that counts I suppose. I can use it for my more vulnerable plants this winter, it will protect them from the frost. With the extremely strong winds this past week we have been rather anxiously checking each morning that the little plastic structure is still in our garden!
Finally I would like to share something Megan discovered whilst going through some of her books. She had taken the time to write it out some time ago and it is rather special:

To live content with small means
To seek elegance rather than luxury and refinement rather than fashion;
To be worthy, not respectable;
and wealthy, not rich;
To study hard,
think quietly,
talk gently,
act frankly;
To listen to stars and birds,
to babes and sages with an open heart,
to bear all cheerfully,
do all bravely,
await occasions,
hurry never
To let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common
This is to be my symphony.

~My Symphony by Wm Henry Channing, 19th century clergyman