Today’s prompt, the word ‘craft’, for JusJoJan comes from Astrid. 

Many images jumped into my mind when I read what today’s prompt was. Perhaps it’s because we are planning a trip that visions of planes and ships and craft of that sort appeared in my head.

Normally, I would think first of craft as something to do with your hands. I have always had a problem with fine motor skills. Writing, drawing, sewing, etc were always a challenge. And yet I enjoyed them all – except for drawing! I struggled in sewing classes at school – yes in the olden days sewing was a compulsory subject in primary school. I also battled to learn to knit. But those classes took the place of OT and were good for children with motor skill problems and once I had mastered them, I thoroughly enjoyed them. Another activity I struggled to learn as a child but then became addicted to was French Knitting – definitely good for fine motor coordination!

The thing with a craft is that you can always learn how to do one if you put your mind to it. I do have a creative mind but my creativity does not stretch to fine art. So as an outlet knitting, crochet, and sewing have been my go-to crafts. There is something very satisfying about creating something with your own hands and as long as there are clear instructions I seem to be able to manage to create something by carefully following the directions. As a young mother, I still had problems with dressmaking but got a friend to teach me then attended some classes and became quite proficient, and for years I made most of my and my daughters’ clothes. (I no longer sew and have given my sewing machine and over-locker to a young designer who really needed them for her craft. ) I still go through phases of knitting and crochet. 

Now to the other craft. The Earl had a fishing craft for many years and loved being out at sea catching fish. He no longer has a craft of his own but he still likes to board his friends’ boats and always enjoys a short excursion out to sea. Longer fishing trips are no longer an option for him. Luckily living where we do the fishing spots are fairly close to the harbour and you need not go out for very long if you choose not to.

Because of his love of the sea, the kind of craft he loves to travel on is a cruise ship. At first, I was not so keen to take a long cruise on the deep wide ocean as visions of the Titanic Disaster danced in my head. But after a month-long cruise on the good ship, Costa Victoria in 2019, I was hooked! What an awesome way to travel. I am so pleased we did this before the pandemic prevented us from booking another one!

As I said in my opening paragraph we are planning another trip, and yes it will be another cruise but not for as long as the Costa Victoria. The cruising bug has bitten our darling daughter and she has persuaded us to join a group of six on a nine-day cruise in the Mediterranean. Yes – we certainly are keen to board this craft although nothing has been booked as yet. We will of course also have to board an aircraft to get there and our plan is to start in the UK so we can visit friends and family there then after a few days, we will fly to Istanbul where the cruise begins and ends, and then fly home from there.