Nearly ever morning Matthijs and I take a walk in the nearby Schothorst Park. We start our walk at around 07:30 and take half an hour with quick strides to make a round, a somewhat different route every day. We hear and see lots of birds. There's a great many tits (meesjes) in the park, jackdaws (kauwen), doves (duiven), blackbirds (merels), sparrows (mussen), ducks (jup, eenden) and woodpeckers (spechten). We usually only hear the latter one and seldom spot it, though we did see one a few days ago and it was a great spotted woodpecker (grote bonte specht). However, this morning we heard a mocking laughter and we just did not manage to see the owner of that voice. So I looked it up online and it is very likely that it was a green woodpecker (groene specht)!

I crocheted a pair of rainbow fingerless gloves, without a pattern (!), and it has already gotten favorited 5 times in 3 days on Cut Out & Keep (the only online community I'm in). I enjoy wearing them because their colors make me happy. They still don't prevent my hands from getting cold behind my computer but they 'warm my heart'. :p

I got a mail from Cut Out & Keep that they want to make me a featured member. So I sent them the answers to their regular questions and some photos of our crafting room in the attic. On May 26th I'll be a featured member, probably drawing more visitors to my projects. Hhmmm... this reminds me that I still need to take some decent pictures of my new belly dance outfits to post there.

Matthijs is making a new winter coat, on my insistence. The old one is worn out and faded. The new one is also made of warmer fabrics (outer layer of wool instead of some canvas like fabric) and it is black with neon green! I have assisted in making piping cord, preparing the pockets and making a matching beanie (muts). I'm going to make some matching gloves too, so he'll be completely prepared for... spring.. :p It feels really good to be sewing again, apparently I was in need of a new project.

Upcoming fun stuff: wet felting the second glove for Sibbe member Marieke (in exchange for a pair of needle bound socks), craft day for Amersical this Saturday with in the evening a meeting of some members of our Glee-watching club in Hengelo. Sunday sleeping late and no other plans. Weekend after that (1-2) a balfolk in Amsterdam and Larissa and Dennis come over for dinner on Sunday. Then two weekends of obligatory stuff (rehearsal for Amersical, NPC day Xenophobia, Xeno logistics planning day) then Xenophobia itself and the weekend after that, finally, the Dansstage in Enschede! I was in on time and we've got a room at the Logica Hotel.

Life's good.