::Holiday Sunsets::

I love how children enter into things body and soul.
How they splash in the waves, look for footprints in the sand
and search for treasures, all with such intense concentration
and joy. All their senses engaged in the here and now.

"All good things are wild and free... "

Henry David Thoreau

::Perfection in white::

How very fine it would be, for a

faerie's wedding in our plum tree just now.

A little Montessori........

I have never actually done any Montessori activities with
my own children before. But somehow the sight of a set of
delicious little vintage glass jugs at the op shop, proved just
too tempting. Were they not so perfectly child sized?
How could I, a former Montessori teacher resist such a treasure??
Apparently I could not.





And so we had a few minutes of Montessori this morning.
During which I could admire all those yummy little expressions
of concentration and enjoy a few moments of quiet.

::Daffodils::

::Daffodowndilly:

She wore her yellow sun-bonnet,

She wore her greenest gown;

She turned to the south west

And curtsied up and down.

She turned to the sunlight

And shook her yellow head,

And whispered to her neighbour:

"Winter is dead."

A.A. Milne (Published 1924)

Just now....

We have been blessed with a little taste of
spring over the last few days. A combination
I think of the unseasonably warm weather and
the delicious blooming of the hyacinth bulbs
I had tucked away.

Somehow I find myself anticipating the
loveliness of spring, I spend a lot of time
looking forward to the coming seasons.
It is one of the most beautiful kinds of
anticipation.
One of life's truest pleasures really........





But sometimes, its nice to just be in the
here and now too. To dig in and treasure these
last days of winter, in all their loveliness.

Tending the fire, doing some knitting,
feeling the crisp cold and cooking
some warm wintry dinners.

To just be where you are, to accept and be
open to the joy in this, the present moment.

Where ever you go, there you are...........
every moment has so many possibilities.
To realise that in every moment there is
the possibility of joy, if your heart is truly open to it.

Have a lovely late winters day!

::Olives::

I have often wondered what is ripe for the picking
in winter. Somehow our calender of fruit picking seemed
incomplete. But today came as such a wonderful answer to this....

Olives!

After a kind invitation from some friends, we spent a very
fortunate day discovering all the excitement of olive picking.
And what a merry communal effort it was, adults busy working,
children scrambling around playing together in the olive groves.
Much raking of olives (to think raking!) onto big cloths. Lots of
careful tipping into crates and a bit of hand picking along the way.
Such a wonderful family occupation. As it should be really!

How velvety smooth our hands were, by

the end of the day, from all the beautiful

oily, squishy olives!

What incredible satisfaction seeing all

those full crates lined up, ready to be crushed.

Tempting to dig your hands right in!

Such a feeling of plenty.

How wonderful to know that in the middle

of summer, we will be able to dress our salads

with some beautiful, extra virgin olive oil

-the fruit of our winter olive picking adventure.

Even now when I shut my eyes I see olives......

Winter delight.

A recipe for happiness on a winters day......

Green grass...

Wide, beautiful blue sky.....

And a hill for climbing up and rolling down.

Simplicity itself really.....

:: A thought of spring::

How nice it is to know, that in the midst
winter, tucked away in a cupboard, there
is a little bit of spring.....



(Should you wish to indulge in a little
spring treasure of you own, it's not too
late! Full instructions can be found here.
I am told it is not strictly necessary to "chill"
the bulb for several weeks prior to planting.)

::Winter Solstice::

Winter is for me a journey. As the nights pull in, I am aware
of the opportunity that awaits me. The chance to spiral into
myself, to journey closer to who I really am. To reflect on
my life, and to seek new light and inspiration for my onward
travels. Each year it seems a little deeper, with more
consciousness and purpose.

For us as a family it is a time of celebration and delight. To share
a unique occasion that we have made our very own.



I cook a special wintry dinner. Pork sausages braised in cider with
juniper berries and thyme. The table is beautifully set. We go for a
crisp, starry walk in the garden, guided by my children's rainbow
lanterns. I read a special candle lit solstice story about King Winter.
Then its time for bed on this the longest night.


...And then in the morning, just like in the story, there is a
special present from King Winter, for each little fellow.
What eager anticipation, joy and delight there is to be had,
by the fire, long before dawn!






May your winter journey be one of light and clarity,
of fresh ideas and discoveries.



A Merry Winter Solstice to you!

The first frost.

:: Something I'm loving just now ::

Watching my little boys unfold artistically in their own
unhurried time. Marvelling at what an incredible
manifestation of their own internal world it all is....
and just wanting to drink in all those yummy little
drawings.

And more than anything, wanting it to last, hoping that

in adult life, a corner of their being

will always find nourishment and stillness in art.

One of those days......

Sometimes we have a day which just needs
to be turned around. When the only sensible
thing to do, for all of us, is to put on our coats
and head out for a stroll somewhere lovely.

What wonders can be achieved, what an
antidote it is, to forget oneself for a moment
and connect with the beauty of Autumn.

And when we return home, something has shifted inside

us all, the focus has changed and a happy busyness prevails,

as we make Autumn leaf pictures.

Could there be a finer sight on a rainy autumn afternoon

than a window full of these......



Or a nicer reminder, of the wonders that can

be achieved on one of those days.........