Three Things Thursday: 21 September 2017

My weekly exercise in gratitude – three things that are making me smile – feel free to steal this idea with wild abandon and fill your blog [or Twitter account or Facebook page or diary or life in general] with happiness.

First, African butterflies. Whilst I was away over the weekend, I noticed one of the ladies wearing a beautiful hair slide and I couldn’t resist asking her about it. And, thus, I was introduced the African butterfly – a grip that actually grips, even my very fine straight hair. The are “made in the Gauteng region of South Africa and are fairly traded. The company provides employment, skills, training and sustainable work for many people in a region with high levels of poverty and unemployment” (web site here)… so I couldn’t resist ordering a few as soon as I returned home.

Second, Sea slugs. For ages I have been thinking about sea slugs and what interesting creatures they are visually. I’d really like to have a go at recreating them in fibre(crochet? felt?), but what I wanted was a book with lots of pictures (somehow browsing the internet just isn’t the same for me). It was a bit too specialist for our county library, so I’ve bought myself Nudibranchs of the World… I could be some time…

Third, a roof. Hair grips and nudibranchs are frivolous and fun, but what’s really important in life is being safe, warm and dry. As the rain hammers down, I can look out of the window and be grateful that I don’t have to be out in it. So many people round the world are not so lucky – those affected by floods, earthquakes and hurricanes, those who are displaced and far away from home. Perhaps we should all take a moment to consider how fortunate we are not to be affected by such problems… and then maybe we should do something to help…

So, that’s what’s making me happy (and very grateful) this week. How about you?

-oOo-

Emily of Nerd in the Brain originally created Three Things Thursday, but it’s now being hosted by Natalie of There She Goes.

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by The Snail of Happiness on September 21, 2017  •  Permalink
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Posted by The Snail of Happiness on September 21, 2017

https://thesnailofhappiness.com/2017/09/21/three-things-thursday-21-september-2017/

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29 Comments

  1. thecontentedcrafter

     /  September 21, 2017

    Pretty hair grips and sound roofing I get – but sea slugs? Slugs of any kind don’t really appeal and I admit to utter ignorance of the sea going kind. I can’t imagine how they will stand up against your other handcrafted pets – the vaarks and dragons for instance. But I could be wrong, I often am 🙂

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  2. Sue laverack

     /  September 21, 2017

    The hair clips are beautiful and I kind of get the sea slugs although I know very little about them. What really struck me was e gratitude for a roof. I have just listened to Crossing Continents from BBC4 on ‘Starting from Scratch in Uganda’ about refugees feom South Sudan who have had to flee the fighting there. Most are young women with small children whose men have been killed. Seemingly the Ugandans have an open door policy, deal with new arrivals quickly and humanely then allocate them a plot of land, some basic tools, tarpaulin, etc. and provide food for a time but basically the women are expected to build a house of some kind and start to till their plot. It made me grateful for a lot of things I often take for granted.

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    • The Snail of Happiness

       /  September 21, 2017

      Thank goodness there are countries with open door policies – so many of our politicians seem hell bent on causing disharmony or being downright aggressive… policies which can only create displaced people. I cannot imagine arriving in a country and having to start from scratch like that, but I guess the relief of being safe and accepted into a country must be the most important thing. I really can’t imagine what it must be like.

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  3. nanacathy2

     /  September 21, 2017

    Those butterflies look a good idea, I shall look out for them. I am gratfeul for the lovely sunny day we had on Tuesday, Spring bulbs I planted this week, so good to think it won’t be too long befor they flower and paper. I use so much paper for notes, lists, thoughts, letters, keeping myself organised, I am very good and any scrap gets used including envelopes for shopping lists and then recycled or shredded and recycled. I can’t imagine how hard life was when paper was expensive.

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  4. shareyourworld

     /  September 21, 2017

    Oh! I’ve seen those butterfly grips recently too, but I was too scared to ask about it.
    Makes me regret cutting my hair… just slightly.

    Also appreciate the mention of hurricanes…
    I live in the UK so I’ve never had to deal with them personally but a dear friend of mine lives in Florida which was hit recently.
    Thankfully him and his family are okay but not without damages to the house and surrounding areas. I’ll be trying my best to help out from this end if I can.

    Possibly a little selfish? But something I’m appreciating right now is that I think I’ve finally figured out something I’d like to do career wise. (In my mid twenties and always been pretty clueless on it….)
    Also appreciate my mother who’s had to suffer through supporting me all these years. At least she has the comfort in knowing that I’ll pay her back x3-fold.

    Gosh. Looong reply, my apologies 😦

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  5. katechiconi

     /  September 21, 2017

    Pretty hair thing, not keen on the sea slugs, and totally agree with you about the roof, even though we’ve had no rain for months. It’ll arrive all too soon, and then I will be on my knees with gratitude!
    I have just one big thing to be grateful for this week, and that is an alert doctor. He has finally made sense of a jumble of assorted symptoms and I have not one but two diagnoses. It’s nice to know it’s not all in my head! And thanks to over $100 worth of drugs, it’ll be fixed in about 6 weeks. Excellent reason to be happy, I feel 🙂

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  6. quietwatercraft

     /  September 21, 2017

    I love those hair grips – I have super thick hair and they’re the only thing that can actually hold it all without sliding around.
    Was it not you that crocheted a sea slug a while ago? I definitely remember seeing one at some point on my blog wanderings, I’ll see if I can find it if it wasn’t you.
    This week I’m grateful for a 4-day weekend coming up because I need the rest, for the NHS which I could not do without at the moment, and for living in a country with no extreme weather/natural occurrences.

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  7. Pat

     /  September 21, 2017

    I have been a fan of nudibranchs for ages. Looking forward to your take on them. 🙂

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  8. Annie

     /  September 21, 2017

    I totally agree with you for stopping and taking stock of all that we are grateful for. We are so very lucky compared to many fellow humans. Often we feel frustrated that we can’t help, but when we do find something we can do then we do what we can. You though are a real inspiration with your blankets, and if I could wish for anything it would be to have enough hours in the day to make things. I do have plans, but somehow run out of day. (Note to self, put fb away Annie….) X

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    • The Snail of Happiness

       /  September 22, 2017

      I try never to have idle fingers – I knit or crochet over morning coffee, when I watch tv in the evening, and at lunchtime. I try to take something with me when I go on visits too… I think that means I’m multi-tasking, but it doesn’t feel like it.

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  9. katythenightowl

     /  September 21, 2017

    Thanks for the link for the hair clips – this was just what I needed for myself – and they are just sooooo pretty, and will be helping others, too – a win-win situation indeed! 🙂
    As for the sea slugs – well, you know that’s what Hubby’s been calling me for years, don’t you? Lol
    I thought it was an insult, until I saw my first pictures of them, then changed my mind, so I hope you enjoy your book of them 🙂
    Yes, we really do have so much to be thankful for, as we sit beneath solid roofs, and are warm, dry, fed, and safe from harm – it really is the most especial thing to be thankful for in these present times, isn’t it? 🙂

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  10. itwasjudith

     /  September 21, 2017

    Sea slugs, interesting.. never thought of them. I guess I’m more fixated with sheep 😉
    I’m curious to see your upcoming snails

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  11. crawcraftsbeasties

     /  September 25, 2017

    Oh yes, I’m with you on the sea slugs! On the rare occasions I attempt to make sense of Pinterest, I just end up collecting another host of sea slug pictures… Their colours and shapes are just fascinating. I can’t wait to see which one you choose for your first craft muse! I’ve also been grateful for things like roofs and windows during the last couple of weeks… And that, for all the complaining we do about the weather here in Ireland, it never gets too badly out of hand!

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