She loves to help with chopping
There's always time to play with the vegetables. Apparently this is A & Daddy
Tuesday 31 July 2012
Anything Soup
A damp day demanded soup.
She loves to help with chopping
There's always time to play with the vegetables. Apparently this is A & Daddy
Yum
She loves to help with chopping
There's always time to play with the vegetables. Apparently this is A & Daddy
Surprise Party & Birthday Meal
Both of J's parents turned 60 this month so after much planning, preparation & secrecy it was finally time for the big surprise. We weren't able to tell the nephews or A, because they wouldn't have been able to keep a secret.
Oh the lies we had to tell, to get phone numbers, to explain why we couldn't go out that lunchtime, to get them to come to our house at EXACTLY 5pm!!
J & his sister had managed to pull together a pretty awesome combination of people and as worried as I was, they didn't actually suspect a thing
The guests of honour arriving... the surprise moment!!
J cooking up a storm on the BBQ
Impromptu Jam #1
Impromptu Jam #2
Birthday Cake (They'd already both had a heavily iced one, so I went for a simple sugar free banana cake)
The Cousins, who can never all look in the same direction at the same time
(This is always the way & I took 5 photos at this point to try and get a good one. Maybe I should 'shop them together)
On Sunday we went out for the planned part of their birthday. A carvery meal at The Old Reindeer. I had so. much. food. It is really hard not to at a carvery.
Like Father, Like Son
(I believe this is the "She's got that bl**dy camera out again" look)
Playing with Dolly while waiting for desert
My cheesecake *swoons*
All in all a busy but wonderfully memorable weekend.
Oh the lies we had to tell, to get phone numbers, to explain why we couldn't go out that lunchtime, to get them to come to our house at EXACTLY 5pm!!
J & his sister had managed to pull together a pretty awesome combination of people and as worried as I was, they didn't actually suspect a thing
J cooking up a storm on the BBQ
Impromptu Jam #1
Impromptu Jam #2
Birthday Cake (They'd already both had a heavily iced one, so I went for a simple sugar free banana cake)
The Cousins, who can never all look in the same direction at the same time
(This is always the way & I took 5 photos at this point to try and get a good one. Maybe I should 'shop them together)
On Sunday we went out for the planned part of their birthday. A carvery meal at The Old Reindeer. I had so. much. food. It is really hard not to at a carvery.
(I believe this is the "She's got that bl**dy camera out again" look)
Playing with Dolly while waiting for desert
My cheesecake *swoons*
All in all a busy but wonderfully memorable weekend.
Saturday 28 July 2012
Thursday 26 July 2012
Eat, Pray, Love
I got Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert on audio book about a month ago, I have been dipping in & out of it (mostly when I have been walking the dog solo, or tiding up in the evenings.) It is a wonderful, wonderful book
This is a quote that I really need to take to heart.
"There is so much about my fate that I cannot control, but other things do fall under the jurisdiction. I can decide how I spend my time, whom I interact with, whom I share my body and life and money and energy with. I can select what I can read and eat and study. I can choose how I'm going to regard unfortunate circumstances in my life-whether I will see them as curses or opportunities. I can choose my words and the tone of voice in which I speak to others. And most of all, I can choose my thoughts.”
― Elizabeth Gilbert
This is a quote that I really need to take to heart.
"There is so much about my fate that I cannot control, but other things do fall under the jurisdiction. I can decide how I spend my time, whom I interact with, whom I share my body and life and money and energy with. I can select what I can read and eat and study. I can choose how I'm going to regard unfortunate circumstances in my life-whether I will see them as curses or opportunities. I can choose my words and the tone of voice in which I speak to others. And most of all, I can choose my thoughts.”
― Elizabeth Gilbert
To quote a popular detergents ad campaign
She has played in the dirt all day today, so happy and focused.
Monday 23 July 2012
Goddess Camp - Part One
What a wonderful weekend. I've come back feeling so refreshed & full of Spirit.
Apparently I am incapable of packing lightly
From the moment we arrived everyone we met was helpful & friendly. Our stuff was carried out of the car for us and within 30 minutes the tent was up.
Checking out her new room
Our tent
The view from our tent, the Fire shrine of the Circle at the centre of camp
On Friday evening there was a communal BBQ, so we could all get introduced, then before that nights bonfire, the camp was officialy opened by "Beating the Bounds". Everyone walked around the camp yelling, drumming or blowing horns to claim the campsite for ourselves for the weekend.
The evening sky
Once A was asleep, my sister and I sat up with some of the others talking around the "quiet" campfire then once I couldn't stay awake anymore, I fell asleep with the noise of drums & chanting from the "loud" campfire in the distance.
Saturday started bright and early and although there has been rain during the night, the sun soon warmed up the earth and on waking we had joined everyone in walking around the camp barefoot.
After the morning meeting and the circle to open the camp we headed out to our first activities.
A & I started the the 'Wild Woods Workshop' but really it was aimed at slightly older children, so she quickly became more interested in exploring the woods.
Shortly after this A & I entered the camp temple for the first time. It was such an amazing space, with truly wonderful statues of the Goddess & the God. We were able to light candles to offer up prayers or bring gifts as offering.
A quickly came to love this sacred space & would often run up & ask if she could enter. She always treated everything with such reverence & would tell me "Close your eyes and listen, She might talk to you"
(Although I longed to take a picture of the inside of the temple, I felt it wasn't right and this is one thing I will have to rely on my memory for)
The majority of our camp meals were supplied by Veggies. It was wonderful not to have to stop everything to cook and the food was truly delightful & plentiful.
A was quick to help with camp chores, especially if it meant scoring brownie points with Aunty H
I started to introduce A to the idea of an altar, due to her love of the temple. She pays no attention to our altar at home, possibly as it is as much the seasonal tableau, but I have wanted to introduce her to the idea of a focal point for contemplation, meditation and praise.
I set up a simple altar with some of my travel items, to open the idea of altars being anywhere and the Goddess being ever present. It is still hard for her to understand, but I think she is getting to a point where we can talk about these things together rather than me just talking at her.
From the moment we arrived everyone we met was helpful & friendly. Our stuff was carried out of the car for us and within 30 minutes the tent was up.
Our tent
The view from our tent, the Fire shrine of the Circle at the centre of camp
On Friday evening there was a communal BBQ, so we could all get introduced, then before that nights bonfire, the camp was officialy opened by "Beating the Bounds". Everyone walked around the camp yelling, drumming or blowing horns to claim the campsite for ourselves for the weekend.
Once A was asleep, my sister and I sat up with some of the others talking around the "quiet" campfire then once I couldn't stay awake anymore, I fell asleep with the noise of drums & chanting from the "loud" campfire in the distance.
Saturday started bright and early and although there has been rain during the night, the sun soon warmed up the earth and on waking we had joined everyone in walking around the camp barefoot.
After the morning meeting and the circle to open the camp we headed out to our first activities.
A & I started the the 'Wild Woods Workshop' but really it was aimed at slightly older children, so she quickly became more interested in exploring the woods.
Shortly after this A & I entered the camp temple for the first time. It was such an amazing space, with truly wonderful statues of the Goddess & the God. We were able to light candles to offer up prayers or bring gifts as offering.
A quickly came to love this sacred space & would often run up & ask if she could enter. She always treated everything with such reverence & would tell me "Close your eyes and listen, She might talk to you"
(Although I longed to take a picture of the inside of the temple, I felt it wasn't right and this is one thing I will have to rely on my memory for)
The majority of our camp meals were supplied by Veggies. It was wonderful not to have to stop everything to cook and the food was truly delightful & plentiful.
A was quick to help with camp chores, especially if it meant scoring brownie points with Aunty H
I started to introduce A to the idea of an altar, due to her love of the temple. She pays no attention to our altar at home, possibly as it is as much the seasonal tableau, but I have wanted to introduce her to the idea of a focal point for contemplation, meditation and praise.
I set up a simple altar with some of my travel items, to open the idea of altars being anywhere and the Goddess being ever present. It is still hard for her to understand, but I think she is getting to a point where we can talk about these things together rather than me just talking at her.
Friday 20 July 2012
Simplicity
A quick nap
Picnic time
Taking photos like Mummy
Some times the simplest days are the best.
Thursday 19 July 2012
Truly Blessed
A very talented friend of a friend passed away recently and as the only crafty person the family really knew, I was asked if I would like to have some of the stocks of supplies this lady had.
What a house!! This lady was a true artist and did crafts of all kinds. There was boxes of threads, 30 - 40 spools in each sorted by colour, wool, needles, fabric...craft supplies of all types.
I was gifted with all sorts of items, ranging from card making blanks to embroidery silks.
An example of her work. Green Man hand stitched onto a jumper
Just some of the fabric & old linens I got
My favourite piece, a hand stitched, double sided, hexagonal patchwork quilt
I feel so honoured & privileged to have gained these wonderful things and to have witnessed the work of such a talented individual.
What a house!! This lady was a true artist and did crafts of all kinds. There was boxes of threads, 30 - 40 spools in each sorted by colour, wool, needles, fabric...craft supplies of all types.
I was gifted with all sorts of items, ranging from card making blanks to embroidery silks.
Just some of the fabric & old linens I got
My favourite piece, a hand stitched, double sided, hexagonal patchwork quilt
I feel so honoured & privileged to have gained these wonderful things and to have witnessed the work of such a talented individual.
Wednesday 18 July 2012
Monday 16 July 2012
Making a Waldorf Doll
Early Saturday Morning J dropped my off at our local Steiner school and this was the glorious sight that greeted me as I walked into our Parent/Toddler room
You can just see the home corner in the back ground
And the nature table in the background of this one
The wonderful lady who runs the Parent/Toddler group had arranged a workshop to allow parents & staff to make a waldorf doll with her careful & thoughtful tuition
It took us over an hour just to do the heads but I am really pleased with how mine turned out
It was a wonderful experience, we joked and talked about our children. We ate a shared meal. We helped each other when we could. We all fell in love with the dolls we were making.
And even though we started from the same point and followed the same patterns, our dolls turned out very differently
(I admit, I didn't follow the usual pattern for the eyes and mouth as I couldn't get them to line up properly, instead I sewed some beads on when I got home. I decided as A is over 3 years old it would be less of a problem.)
Once she was finished I tucked her into A's bed & they haven't been parted since
In the car on the way to the Nottingham Pagan Network picnic
You can just see the home corner in the back ground
And the nature table in the background of this one
The wonderful lady who runs the Parent/Toddler group had arranged a workshop to allow parents & staff to make a waldorf doll with her careful & thoughtful tuition
It took us over an hour just to do the heads but I am really pleased with how mine turned out
It was a wonderful experience, we joked and talked about our children. We ate a shared meal. We helped each other when we could. We all fell in love with the dolls we were making.
And even though we started from the same point and followed the same patterns, our dolls turned out very differently
(I admit, I didn't follow the usual pattern for the eyes and mouth as I couldn't get them to line up properly, instead I sewed some beads on when I got home. I decided as A is over 3 years old it would be less of a problem.)
Once she was finished I tucked her into A's bed & they haven't been parted since
Friday 13 July 2012
Domestic Bliss
Abigail has started to ask for jobs around the house, which of course makes me really happy, she is not only playing at house keeping, she actually is helping with the house work!!
Cleaning the door with a vinegar water solution
And then there will be moments like this, which melt my heart
The spray bottle baby tucked in under the cloth, next to one of her floor puppets under a tea towel
I particularly love the window sticker pillow!!
And then there will be moments like this, which melt my heart
The spray bottle baby tucked in under the cloth, next to one of her floor puppets under a tea towel
I particularly love the window sticker pillow!!
Thursday 12 July 2012
New Books
Fine choices for my birthday money I think, so much new information.
And a nice suprise, my very uncrafty friend really liked the look of some of the projects in Hand in Hand. I can't wait so share them with her and our children.
Wednesday 11 July 2012
Tuesday 10 July 2012
Food, Glorious Food.
Since becoming a parent I have become obsessed with food.
In a good way though, I am now very concious about what we put in our bodies and I working to make sure at least 80% of our diet is as whole and as healthy as possible.
A & I are meat free for about 3-4 days a week now and I am having a lot of fun experimenting with new recipes
Last week I did a kickstarter plan in a bid to sort out some of the issues with my eating habits. There was no meat, wheat or dairy (as well as the obvious bad guys like caffiene and sugar)
For the most part I found it relatively easy although I missed butter terribly. It has strengthened my resolve somewhat and I will certainly be eating a lot less wheat and red meat only very occasionaly from now on.
I am also very excited as my copy of 'Nourishing Traditions' has arrived. I borrowed it from the library but barely scratched the surface before it had to go back. Now I have my own copy to absorb and I can't wait.
In a good way though, I am now very concious about what we put in our bodies and I working to make sure at least 80% of our diet is as whole and as healthy as possible.
A & I are meat free for about 3-4 days a week now and I am having a lot of fun experimenting with new recipes
Last week I did a kickstarter plan in a bid to sort out some of the issues with my eating habits. There was no meat, wheat or dairy (as well as the obvious bad guys like caffiene and sugar)
For the most part I found it relatively easy although I missed butter terribly. It has strengthened my resolve somewhat and I will certainly be eating a lot less wheat and red meat only very occasionaly from now on.
I am also very excited as my copy of 'Nourishing Traditions' has arrived. I borrowed it from the library but barely scratched the surface before it had to go back. Now I have my own copy to absorb and I can't wait.
Monday 9 July 2012
My Birthday Weekend
I opted for a family weekend for my birthday this year and my choice of location for cake was The Friendly Farmer
A's Piggy Biscuit
My Carrot Cake
We then drove into Newark to look around the castle.
Knocking to see if the Queen is in
On Sunday my Dad & his friend, My Sister and my In-Laws came for tea. My Sister in Law bought me this beautiful cake. My goodness it was sweet!
My Carrot Cake
We then drove into Newark to look around the castle.
Knocking to see if the Queen is in
On Sunday my Dad & his friend, My Sister and my In-Laws came for tea. My Sister in Law bought me this beautiful cake. My goodness it was sweet!
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