Blog 25 - Thistles & Robins

I am writing this on Boxing Day as the proud owner of yet another silk scarf, the newest to my collection. It was a Christmas gift from my two daughters. Of course I should have been opening it in their presence, but like so many other households in the country, plans were changed at the last moment and I opened the gift during a zoom call!

So which scarf would daughters choose for a nutty mother who writes a blog about her scarves? I muttered about over packaging, and the green environment, as I tore through layers of paper and fine presentation to find the ultimate treasure, a British scarf to please a Scottish mother with symbolic thistles and robins. I was quickly told to be quiet about the environment, recycle the paper and look at the design! A lot of thought had gone into finding something meaningful to me.

I always say something about the designer of the scarf and I find this is by Clare Haggas who runs her business from Lincolnshire and is a wildlife artist with a particular interest in birds. I have a small collection of fine watercolour paintings of birds created by a Channel Islands female artist and both my girls were given gifts of these bird paintings by their late father. They know I like birds and during lockdown, they brought me much pleasure sitting in my small garden, providing entertainment and companionship. Robins in particular have always had a special private significance for me. There are eight robins on my scarf, goldfinches, a large owl, kingfishers, partridges, ducks.....I hope the two little round fat birds are Jenny wrens, they may be finches, but I am going to regard them as wrens, as again, this little bird is personally one of my favourites. I like to imagine that the Robin and Jenny Wren who visit my garden represent my long gone dad and mum. Oh yes, back to the scarf.....there are a couple of dancing hares thrown in as well. All are entwined in a circle of thistles to remind me of my native Scotland. I am from a hunting and fishing family and memories come flooding back when I read the background of this designer, memories of a marble countered larder with feathered and furry creatures hanging there, salmon, fresh and smoked.....and all I wanted to eat were sausages! There was always a Labrador by the fireside and special holidays on my own up the Glen to Fern where my father's cousin was a gamekeeper with many Labradors and spaniels in outdoor kennels, ferrets and even a hand reared abandoned foxclub. There was a field adjoining the gamekeeper's lodge with hundreds of turkeys. I was only about seven or so and turkeys seemed very big and menacing as they stampeded towards the feed held nervously in my small hands, strange monsters with wobbly red bits flapping about and screeching their very odd language. We never ate turkey in our household in Scotland at that time. I didn't eat turkey yesterday either. I wonder how many other households changed their Christmas menu at the last moment to accommodate a small bubble number?

Yes, a lot of thought had gone into the choice of scarf for the busybeeblogger by two loving daughters and as you read this, I shall be wearing it with pride. My sister gave me a lovely knitted FairIsle style beret with a 'toorie' on it, and quite by accident, the colours of this complement my silk scarf. She got an identical one from her husband. Alas, we were having such a good time quietly playing games, we forgot to take photos of us wearing them together. One always has to leave something for another day......

That just might be Hogmanay and thankfully a New Year. Now which scarf will I be wearing for that very important new beginning? Please join me next Sunday to find out.

Busy Bee, Scarf Face!

Series 2, Blog 25.