My very own Silken pillow

I just finished my very own Silken pillow! A Silken pillow can be used as a nursing pillow or for propping a baby up on the floor. One of my friends in New Zealand had one shaped like a horse and when I returned home and friends and family started having babies I wanted to make something similar. Since I can't draw (even the outline of an animal) I got our Jack Russell, Silken, to lie on some newspaper and I traced her for the pattern. She was middle-aged at the time and thus able to lie still for long enough! I've made several for other people and it was fun this time to be making my own! I was pleased with the result and had a bowl of ice cream to celebrate. No pickles.

Silken posing beside the first Silken pillow.

My Silken pillow.

A pregnant woman's best friend

What is a pregnant woman's best friend? You're probably thinking dog ... goat ... husband? Not to make Randy feel that he's been replaced (he does give a very good foot massage) but as far as getting me through the workday right now, my compression stockings are my best friend.

And how's this for sexy?

It seems like pregnancy symptoms hit you at your weakest point. I had a varicose vein that had never bothered me and I would not have known about except that a doctor had pointed it out to me. Then I hit the 6-month mark of pregnancy and wham - bulging vein, spider veins, nasty pool of swelling below my ankle - and something had to be done.

Not only do I have these nice-looking ones, I also have thigh highs! Sorry, no photo. They came with special gloves to use to put them on (that are very similar to my furniture-moving gloves that I kept from the woodworking shop) and my latest technique for taking them off is to lie on the bed and call Randy.

They will be useful for a subsequent pregnancy (in good time) and maybe on long flights, then I'll pack them away until I'm 80.