Today's Train Trip Home

This afternoon as I was coming home on the train, I pulled out my Cat Rug to work on the border. I got away early so it was quiet and I had a four-seat booth to myself. Next station though, seemingly hundreds of 8-9 year old girls got on, chattering away excitedly and swarming the carriage. Teachers cooeed and coaxed them into some order and I, in short shift, was surrounded by five darling little blossoms with ten massive eyes who immediately, without any hesitation or shyness, pored over my rug asking questions. All before we got out of the station.
They loved it and asked all kinds of things, then felt it, turned it over and made suggestions about what I could do next (A dog and a gold fish apparently. Why? Because the dog chases the cat and the cat chases the goldfish of course). I told them it was made from old blankets and an old cardigan and the hems of kilts and that in the old days......... still hooking rows as we spoke.
I learned all about their Guinea Pigs and the names of their cats and did I have a cat? (No I don't because we work every day and it wouldn't be fair for it to be locked up, which reply met with solemn, nodding approval and some puzzled self reflection about their myriad animals at home all day, alone).
I said it was easy to make rugs and we talked about how to draw a picture with just a few shade variations. They understand things like high contrast photography and downloading Tabby Cats to use as the colouring-in example. Mobile phone aps were mentioned.
You could see tick, tick, tick with the possibilities. "You could do a face" someone said, so I told them about Chris's 'Husband's Face Rug'.
By the time we arrived at their destination we were all firm friends and we smiled and waved and smiled. They all got out and were ushered into rows to be counted. I could see these five looking for me and then as they saw me, burst into new smiles and waved and I waved and we all smiled and we all waved and smiled until they were gone!