Monarchy is not a subject that often troubles my day to day existance. There is a vague fondness for the Royal Family, in much the same vein as my general affection for red postboxes and Flake 99s. D...
Driving back from Cheltenham today, the smell hit me before I realised what was coming. That unmistakeable scent of summer rain on hot earth. And as the first huge plips hit the windscreen, I fought ...
Look at photos of flowers. Breathe. Erase all thoughts of passport related stress. Two visits to the Post Office, three forms, two sets of photos. Does it really have to be this hard?
This year, I really did try to enter the 21st century and use an electronic diary. But d'you know what? It hasn't worked out. I keep dropping balls. There was the birthday party I unintenti...
Love of colour always seems to me to go along with a zest for life. The sort of bold fearlessness that is guaranteed to raise the spirits - a call to joy. But colour requires energy, and sometimes th...
Do you ever get the feeling that subconsciously, you are waiting for something to happen? In some sort of limbo that leaves you feeling restless and unproductive and not able to settle to doing anyth...
::: Ric Rack the colour of sunshine ::: ::: Quince Jelly ::: ::: Meeting Sue ::: Nice things often happen in threes, don't you find?
If ever there was a week for hunkering down indoors, this is it - rain, rain rain. The guilt I felt flipping the central heating back on this morning, was somewhat mitigated by cooking an enomous vat...
We country mice escaped for an interlude in the big bad city last week. It might seem an odd holiday venue, given that we don't live too far away. But somehow, staying in London, trumps any numb...
Sewing is sometimes about the end product and sometimes about the process. Sitting with a little gentle stitching in hand allows for relaxation and conversation, whilst still retaining a sense of pro...
In order to keep my running on track during the holidays, I realized I was going to need to coerce the boys into coming with me. Johnny is still small enough that it makes sense for him to cycle whil...
The cutting patch is beginning to bear fruit. It was a bit of a leap of faith putting bulbs and seeds in the bare earth and waiting for Mother Nature to do her thing. But it's a good lesson for ...
The glorious day today, which absolutely confirmed that winter is behind us now. Hooray. A lovely reminder in the post from Rebecca to make the most of life (and a nudge to give free motion embroider...
Spring has sprung in the bathroom. The first branches of Forsythia, forced indoors. I like to think of it as pre-emptive pruning. That way I don't feel bad about hacking chunks off my shrubs.
For Elizabeth, who asked so nicely. Answers to her eleven questions: 1. If you were invited to make a piece of art, what medium would you use? Paper – there’s something so soothing about cutting, fol...
Do you consider yourself a good shopper? Were you one of those teenagers whose idea of a perfect Saturday was one spent mooching with your friends round your favourite haunts, trying things on and pr...
So, the Couch to 5K project? Still running (though there was a little hiatus in that extremely icy weather a few weeks back). It's not fast, it's not pretty, but it is getting outside and p...
There is a custom at the boys' school for taking in a little treat of the cake variety to share with your classmates on your birthday. Johnny's usually falls during half term, but rather th...
Johnny bean turned eight yesterday. Our celebrations were rather low key - his party is next weekend and he's also got the mother of all colds and isn't feeling tip top. But he did brighten...
Did Valentines Day bring you sweet things? We were pretty low key about it this year. But I did manage two little Bunny Nuggets for the boy children in my life. It's a Rebecca Danger pattern (de...
Seldom has a half-term been so very welcome. The opportunity to relax, to play, to enjoy each other's company. The older the boys get, the more I appreciate the interlude that the holidays provi...
Off my needles yesterday evening. A Wurm hat. I am hoping it gave me a small degree of anonymity in the school car park this morning as I accomplished a particulary spectacular wipe out in the compac...
You may already have heard about Saturday on the blogging grapevine - Tracy, Val, Monica, Julie, Nancy, Alice, Emma and I got together. The excuse was a crafty day, but it was really one huge munch-...
This view is not the norm - I must have been about seventeen the last time I ran seriously. And by seriously, I do not infer any enormous commitment on my part. But at my school, we were all obliged ...
During periods of anxiety, it helps me to keep busy. Preferably small things, with instant gratification involved. Because when you are waiting on big things which are out of your control, it's ...
Up for a challenge? I usually am. You only have to mention something which sounds interesting and I'm there - ready to give it a whirl. So when the nice folks at Most Wanted asked me to take par...
D'you think this is what they mean by adding some extra colour to your winter garden? Yes, that is my garden (though not my peacock). They are feral in our neighbourhood. The village is divided ...
In all the striving that this time of year brings - to be better, to be thinner, to get fit, to eat more healthily, to keep a more organized house - one important kernel of truth always seems to get ...
In the universe, there are forces so great that they are impossible to resist. Gravity, the smell of bacon cooking and string. Those who know me tolerate and pander to this particular foible. Hubs f...
Oh the sweet relief of reaching the end. Project 365 is completed. I have captured a photo of almost every day this year. Although I did cheat on August 22nd, but I figure the cat looks the same ever...
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