Baking

Sometimes when I bake with children, I want an edible result
in minutes. But other times, I am in the mood for a bit of
a process. These cheesy biscuits are great for that. You could
use any cheese biscuit recipe really, but one that retains its
shape during baking would be good. First you mix and roll and
cut out, then the fun begins. Paint each biscuit with egg yolk,
then provide a variety of seeds for decoration (I used sesame,
poppy, sunflower and pepita.) Little fingers love decorating
things...especially if they can be eaten later!

New Beginnings

You know, over the past few months, I wondered at
times if I was going to blog again. For various reasons I
wondered if blogging wasn't connected to a phase of my life
that might almost be over. But do you know what? I am not
totally ready to let it go. I need to draw my energy
back into my home and mothering for a while. And blogging
is sooo good for this. So very good. So here I am.

::A little Autumn lovely-ness::

Autumn leaves, in a vase on the table.
I look forward to this every year, forget
flowers, leaves are so very beautiful too!

Night

The nights are pulling in, and everywhere I would imagine,

you can hear the sighs of relieved mammas like myself.

As they prepare to re-claim the night. As suddenly after

months of trying to get children asleep at a reasonable

hour-darkness comes and saves the day (or could it be the night!).

Now I look forward to the evenings ahead of child free

time-to knit and sew and write and think. Surely there

should be a small celebration, to mark the loveliness of this

velvety darkness that has crept upon us!

:: Little Joys::

Sometimes, in this Christmas celebration of ours I have to
stop and think, amidst it all, of the things that I find beautiful.
And for me it is the little details, the small joys which I
really love:
How we build the nativity through out advent, beginning
with minerals in the first week...



And how this year, Mary and Joseph have begun their
long journey on top of the piano, moving a little each day,
(to my children's delight...)until some time in the third
week they will reach the nativity display.



And how at the Op shop, I discovered something
I had been wishing for-but never thought I would actually
own. Which has, in its own way brought joy and wonder
to our house.




Just little things, but so lovely. I hope that as time goes on
I have the courage to focus more on these little things that
I love about Christmas and somehow scale down the parts
that I find more difficult. To create a celebration that is
beautiful in its simplicity......

::An Edwardian Snippet::

I knew as the shop lady got the key and opened the glass
cabinet, I was in grave danger of needing this book. Then I
opened it....and the first page I flipped to (of crochet
lace patterns) confirmed this most decisively. A little window
into the lives of women in 1911, how they ran their houses,
what they read, how they dressed,the handcrafts, the recipes.....
Some very Edwardian and some so very timeless, nearly
100 years later.

Let me share with you a little snippet from "The Housekeeper's

Diary for December". Which is somehow fitting, in the lead up to

the festive season.

"This is invariably a tiring and exacting month

for the house mother and though the word "holidays"

is continually in the air, it is usually anything but

holiday-time for her!"

"When preparing for a party in your own house,

remember it is the poorest economy to use up all

your own strength before-hand in getting things ready

for the evening.

Too often the mistress of a small house gives herself

no time for proper meals, and keeps going up to the

last minute on the day of the festivity;

and then has the utmost difficulty looking cheerful

and keeping the worried look at bay when her

guests arrive.

No matter how busy and rushed you may be,

make it a rule to take good meals and allow

yourself at least a quarter of an hour's

rest before your friends come.

And do not forget that nothing recuperates the

tired body so quickly as a rest with the feet up,

on a sofa or bed....."

How very real....and in some respects more honest than a lot of

contemporary magazines, which are full of all the festive wonders

that can be achieved.

It inspires me to take a big deep breath and aim for simplicity.

And to reflect on the freedom that we have, to celebrate Christmas

in our own style. To create a celebration for our family that is

meaningful, what ever form it takes. I guess for an Edwardian

this would have been a very radical thought indeed. I just wonder

how much times have changed?

:: Winter Goodbye ::

"Winter goodbye, winter goodbye,
You may no longer stay.....
Springtime is on it's way.
Winter goodbye, winter goodbye"




I know there are things about winter I will miss. Cozy
book-ish days, crisp frosts, darkness and cold.



But somehow I need to farewell this winter. To let go of the long
journey that it has been. One of spiraling into myself, of deep
thought and reflection~to the point where I ached for spring.

Now I need to open myself to a kind of blooming from within. A
chance to outwardly show the efforts of this long inward journey.
For new things to manifest and for my life to flow in fresh
directions.

"In every winter's heart lies a quivering spring,
and behind the veil of each night, waits a smiling dawn..."

Kahlil Gibran

::Dishes::

I do a lot of dishes, its just one of those daily things...
But sometimes having a tiny celebration of daily tasks
can help to make them a tiny bit more pleasant.
So to this end, I have started knitting some dish cloths.
Just squares of plain really, in two shades of knitting cotton
I had in my stash.





And these combined with a vase of Japonica,
on my kitchen window sill, suddenly makes the task
so much nicer......

:: Vintage Everday::

I so dearly love this little Ladybird reader. The illustrations
are just beautiful. One things stand out to me, apart from
the wonderful vintage-ness of it all. And that is the assumption
that everyday things are enough. That there is excitement and
entertainment to be had, for little ones, in the simplicity of day to
day chores. That helping is a worthy thing. I find this so affirming
and a wonderful thing to foster and consider, at a time when
so much is thought of more.

::Winter Wonderfuls::

I think there is a week in every winter, when it is particularly

wuthering. And despite the joy of so much rain, cabin fever sets in.

I find myself feeling a bit dreamy about blue skies, dry days~

and if the truth be told, living vicariously for a moment through

the sunny life of a certain little Lego man!

And so I am planning a few Winter diversions for this

space, some little snippets of cosy enjoyment.....stay tuned !

::Cabin fever::

I had been waiting for a day like this. A rainy Saturday, when
we could justify spending a whole day inside, getting cozy and
doing all those winter-ish things. You know the luxury of
Pyjamas till 11am and no where to go, just listening to the rain.

So I lit the fire, washed all the woollies and hung them about
the place to dry.

Then set about making chocolate brownies, with the usual

helpers.

Which were keenly enjoyed with hot chocolate and

marshmallows, shortly there after.

I indulged in a bit of knitting by the fire.

And my shawl got a tiny bit bigger.

Then we roasted chestnuts on the top of the fire.

A cozy little picture of domestic goodness really......

But do you want to know the awful truth? By 3pm it

became apparent that for all concerned we needed

to get out of the house. Know that feeling??!

And so we did.

Am I the only one who has days like these????

::Colours of Happiness::

I've been busy enjoying a few little pleasures
of late. Just the usual small things......



A flower from my little boy.



Seeds and a new diary.



A box of colour from the nursery.



Which made it into a pot.



And the beginnings of a new shawl. I feel so very blessed, with
all these treasures......and in my favourite colours too!

Drawing in.....

I am loving autumn just now. The
feeling of drawing inside, lighting the fire
and starting to get cosy. The little stash
of wool, almost as ripe as fruit in a basket,
just waiting to become something over the
the winter. The fungi that has so magically
appeared with the autumn rain and the light.
That beautiful golden, autumn sunshine.

How well it fits with this beautiful poem, which I so recommend

that you take courage and read aloud if only for your own pleasure.......

As I discovered after seeing the movie Bright Star. Keats should

really only be read aloud!

Ode to Autumn

Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness!

Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;

Conspiring with him how to load and bless

With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eaves

Run;

To bend with apples the mossed cottage-trees,

and fill all fruit with ripeness to the core:

To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells

With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,

And still more, later flowers for the bees,

Until they think warm days will never cease.........

John Keats 1819

The full poem and more besides can be found here.

~Home~

"Home is a name, a word, it is a strong one; stronger than
magician ever spoke, or spirit ever answered to, in the
strongest conjuration." Charles Dickens



Join me in a little celebration of feeling at home, of stopping
to take a deep breath and appreciating what it is to be at home.
For the first time in years I have a strong sense of belonging.
How very beautiful it is!

::Simple Pleasures::

Just now I am wallowing in a few
simple little pleasures......

A beautiful thrifted 1950's flour dredger,
a present from a lovely, Op shop savvy friend...
who knows my fondness for Cornish blue china.
There is something so very beautiful
and domestic about it.

A new Persephone book, a gift from my

boys dad. Which I have only read a little

of...with the lovely anticipation of

having a long way to go. I know its sitting

there just waiting......

A humble, unfinished water colour. Painted

on a rare and so very much enjoyed visit

to a painting class held by my beautiful teacher.

When I look at it I can feel all the merriment

and joy of being with such a fine group of

women again.

It all reminds me of a lovely quote, from

this book.

"Three hundred small pleasures

make people happier than one

magnificent one."

Daniel Gilbert, Professor of Psychology,

Harvard University.

::Focusing in ::

Sometimes life just seems to overtake
me and things that I usually feel are important
get almost swept aside. Like lighting a candle
and saying a blessing for our evening meal together.



Although we routinely do this, sometimes it is
just so very grounding to be mindful and present
for a moment, before the meal begins.
To find a little special reverence in it all. To pick
fresh flowers and just breathe it in.

Suddenly life seems that little bit more ordered and
peaceful, just by such a simple change of focus.

This stillness within myself, I think has a most
profound effect on my little ones. The meal seemed
quieter...... and my small boy delivered me one of
those beautiful little moments of innocence.

"Look, I can see a little bit of magic just there in
the candle.......its a fairy I think...!" he said.

~Blessings on the blossoms,
Blessings on the fruit,
Blessings on the leaves and stems,
Blessings on the root,
Blessings on our meal ~

Library love....

To say that I go to the library often, would be an understatement.
I go often enough to know that sometimes, books don't seem to
leap out at me and I return with a couple of luke warm choices.
Where as at other times, I skip away with an above average
stash of books under my arm.

Sometimes this stash can be so good that it has the power to
chart my day- and possibly even my week, on a different course.
The other day was one of those lucky days!

I discovered as if by chance The Gentle Art of Domesticity
by Jane Brocket. Quite why, in blog land I hadn't stumbled upon
this before, I do not know. But what a wonderful treat it is!

I looked through it in wonder- it was almost as if it was written
specifically with me in mind! With a combination of so may things
that are dear to my heart. Knitting, sewing, cooking, reading
(Persephone books) vintage movies, history, art, poetry...

It is in a lot of ways, such a wonderful affirmation of home-making.
Almost a thinking woman's guide to domestic life. Full of beautiful
photos, recipes and various works of art, depicting domesticity.
I must say I wallowed in it! In fact I swooned over several quilts,
paintings and in particular this beautiful poem Winding Wool.

::Seeing the light::

I think that the first year in a house is always a bit exciting.
You just never know how things will be in each new season.
Unexpected bulbs and blooms in the garden, new families of
birds to watch and for us at the moment, little adventures
in changing light.
As the angle of the sunlight changes, delicious shafts of light
appear in unexpected places. We find ourselves at the
breakfast table, with beautiful fresh morning light, shining
on a vase of roses. Suddenly there is a twinkling sunny
patch on my bedroom wall.
It feels a bit like my life at the moment, somehow full of
promise, with an open-ness I haven't experienced in years.
An open-ness to new perspectives and new friendships appearing
as if by magic, like this new light in our house.

::Dailyness::

Work is love made visible.



And what is it to work with love?




It is to build a house with affection, even as if your beloved
were to dwell in the house.



It is to charge all things you fashion with a breath
of your own spirit.

It is to weave the cloth with threads drawn from
your heart..........

Kahlil Gibran
~The Prophet.