How To Be Attractive To A Man

Now as we all know, men are mysterious creatures and there is no guessing what goes on in their teeny tiny minds, I mean their formidable brains.  I am pleased to report though that after extensive and exhausting research (i.e., after finding a list left in a library book), I have discovered the key attributes one particular man is after in a mate.  Now there is no proof that a man wrote this list, in theory it could be anybody, but look at this and I think you too will suspect it is the work of a man. 

It was inside Mr Shoestring’s library book too, a murder mystery, which may add a little weight to the supposition that it was the thoughts of a man.  I have to admit that I could never be a successful candidate for this gentleman – although I am fortunate enough to possess my own teeth I am a useless baker and pikelets (or piklets as they are charmingly called in the list) were never my specialty.  Even when I tried many years ago to bake some scones for a visitor they came out more like cheese straws, so I gave up at the first hurdle and never attempted them again.  As for being “loaded”, I presume this means being wealthy (but Mr Shoestring thought it meant something else so we have to agree to differ there), and since I am not loaded, and use any cash I lay my hands on buying threads, fabrics and cottons I would definitely not be a contender. 

The Squire and his good lady wife came over for lunch in the weekend and regaled us with tales of their new hobby, sailing.  Not only are they not expert sailors, they had no experience of sailing until they suddenly bought a trimaran, which they learned to rig and sail by studying tutorials on the internet!  I have to admit this didn’t inspire me to plead with them to take me out, especially after the Squire informed me that when he had only been out four times a member of the local yacht club spied him and recommended that he start racing.  (He had performed some very unusual and daredevil manoeuvres without even being aware of the fact, apparently).  Good on him for being so adventurous but I think dry land is a more appealing proposition for me!  Needless to say, the Squire’s good lady wife is a very amenable and docile lady who will happily support her valiant Squire in all he does. 

I am very relieved to report that the needlepoint project so long in the making has finally been completed, now it needs to be blocked and then made into a cushion.  (One can never have too many needlepoint pillows, I think that will have to be my motto.)  

I know I said last week that I was going to move onto the primrose/polyanthus one which was already started, but this canvas was calling to me.  

I bought it years ago when there were a whole group of them on sale at ridiculously low prices, too low not to buy a few, and it has languished in various cupboards, wardrobes and boxes since then.  I will use up the wools my mum gave me after she finished her crewel curtains on this project and it has opened up an opportunity to have fun with colour because in using three strands of crewel wool to cover the canvas there is the chance to mix the colours up and get a lot of very interesting effects. They don't show up very well in the photo but I will take a better one soon, the speckled look is quite realistic for flowers and stems.  

This has been great fun and it is working up very quickly.  The fact that it is a printed canvas makes it much less challenging for the old brain cells than if I was following a chart and having to count each stitch. 

We went on a good walk to the top of a waterfall in the weekend and saw lots of tui on the way up. 

 The outlook from the top was great but we were rather aggrieved to find lots of other people had the same idea and as we came down hordes were making their way up.  How rude!  Luckily we set off early so were down again before the heat of the day. 

Mr Shoestring is very cross at present.  He decided that it would be good to raise our bed up higher so that there was more storage underneath, but somehow he miscalculated with the result that I almost needed a stepladder to climb into bed last night, and the poor cats could barely leap up onto bed to wake us in the middle of the night as is their usual habit.  Also, it may be my imagination but I think the bed was swaying a little on the tall frame and I think I might have been a bit seasick (or perhaps I was just thinking of The Squire and his adventures on the ocean waves).  

This weekend I finally had a go at making some eye makeup remover after a friend told me about it. If you are frugal it is very vexing to spend money on this product, it isn't pretty and it isn't useful for embroidery so why would you want it?  (Apart from not wanting to look like a member of Kiss when you wake up in the mornings, and scare your partner senseless of course.)  The version I was told about goes like this.  Boil the kettle and pour one cup of water into a measuring jug.  Then add one and a half teaspoons of baby shampoo or baby wash, and half a teaspoon of baby oil.  When it has cooled decant it into a pretty glass bottle (or whatever you like to use) and hey presto, you have an excellent eye makeup remover.  If you love mascara as much as I do it will be a boon to you.  I have been using it for a few days now and still have my eyesight and no irritation, so I'm pretty pleased with it.