As usual I’m joining with Emily of Nerd in the Brain (and others) for Three Things Thursday’. As she says…
*three things that make me smile: an exercise in gratitude – feel free to steal this idea with wild abandon and fill your blog with the happy*
First, sharing plants. On a recent visit to have lunch with Sue (she comments as Coppice Learner on here), she gave us a little clementine plant (grown from a pip) for the limery… I have high hopes, although Mr Snail is worried about oranges outnumbering limes in the limery!! In the same spirit I’m currently experimenting with cuttings from our passionfruit vine* in the hope that I can share this with other gardening friends who have glasshouse space.
Second, a special mend. About 25 years ago, in the days before ubiquitous electronic gadgets to organise our lives, I bought myself a Filofax. Over the years it has travelled extensively and been used year after year. Until, that is, Sam decided that it would make a tasty treat and did this:
it wasn’t supposed to be a dog chew
Fortunately, my friend Mr Stich has been able to restore it to its former state and so now I’m back to being properly organised again! He also sent me two lovely hedgie key rings that he made recently. What a talented craftsman.
Third, Sixty Million Trebles. I’ve recently come across this project via Danielle from The Make It Shop (where I spent World Wide Knit In Public Day):
The UN at the end of 2015 estimated that there are 60 Million refugees Worldwide. The aim of this group is HUGE. The objective is that in the summer of next year we create a world record for the largest crochet blanket. It must contain 60 million trebles. This blanket will then be a yarn bomb in London. After the event the squares will be taken apart and half of the blankets will go to UK charities and the rest to Hand in Hand For Syria. (Sixty Million Trebles)
I have decided to use yarn that I have been given to make at least one large square to contribute (each donation should measure 36 inches along each side). Here is what I’ve made so far:
just a few hundred trebles so far
It’s not the need to highlight the plight of all the refugees world wide that’s making me smile, but the kindness and generosity of all those involved in doing something positive… another example of craftivism in action.
So, those are three things making me smile this week – what about you?
-oOo-
* My research indicates that passionfruit can be propagated by cuttings, but different varieties require different treatments (with/without growing tips; with/without leaves; in water/treated with rooting powder), although they should all be taken in autumn. Without specific recommendations for the variety that I have, I’m starting with the simplest approaches – stems with and without growing tips in water.
The Snail of Happiness 
w1nt3l
/ October 27, 2016Absolutely love Clementines. Between my daughter and I, we can’t ever keep them in the house more than a few days. Hope you get it to fruit and I just recently found out what a “pip” actually is (us silly Americans call them seeds, lol). It’s refreshing as well to read something positive about the refugee crisis with all the horrible stories in the news.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 27, 2016I see so many hateful things written about people fleeing for thier lives, I just wanted to find something positive to contribute. The only thing to do in the face of hatered is to show love and kindness.
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w1nt3l
/ October 27, 2016🙂
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Ann
/ October 27, 2016Glad you like the filofax. This Stitch person sounds rather nice…. 😀 XX
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 27, 2016I think you’d like him 😉
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thecontentedcrafter
/ October 27, 2016My daughter – a real Geek incidentally – still uses a filofax. When my ISP went down a couple of days ago I suddenly realised that hard copies might be a wise requirement for the future! I love the Sixty Million Trebles intention!!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 27, 2016I still love my Filofax, although sometimes I am a bit lax keeping it up to date.
I’m seeing so much nastiness in the media at the moment that being part of the Sixty Million Trebles community is a real tonic. There are so many kind people in the world, but they often seem to be drowned out by the nasty, noisy ones.
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katechiconi
/ October 27, 2016Even though it’s already Friday here, I’m grateful for:
Piles of clean (instead of dirty) laundry, another half dozen ripe passionfruit waiting when we got home, and the whistling ducks are back, turning up outside the back door every morning.
I love that there are still people in the world who turn good intentions and good wishes into actual good deeds and good work. No point saying “I wish there was something I could do”. There is. Now go and do it.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 28, 2016You are so right – what a difference we can make if we all take action
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Wild Daffodil
/ October 28, 2016I have just finished a blanket to send to Syria, made with loads of odd bits of wool simply tied together – thanks for the inspiration Jan!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ October 28, 2016The yarn I’m using was given to me by another blogger (Itwasjudith) who was having a clear out – I am loving the fact that I can add to her generosity and do just a tiny thing to make the world a better place
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Wild Daffodil
/ October 28, 2016Ripples in the pond. ❤
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