Sunset :: Sunrise :: April

For me Easter is such a wonderful time of
renewal. In a lot of ways it feels like the
dawning of a new spiritual year. I emerge
from the heat of summer, take a deep
inward breath and feel rejuvenated,
focused and ready to begin afresh.

We go to see the sunset on Good Friday.
Standing in the fresh evening air on the
mountain summit, there is such a feeling of
cleansing and letting go.

Then on Easter Sunday we climb a local mountain

in the dark, just before dawn to see the sunrise.

There is such an exquisite airy stillness to it, watching

the beautiful morning sun emerge. It feels so cleansing

fresh and new. Very much like the dawning of a new

year.......

Have a beautiful Easter.......

(I must say that waking and dressing two small

children in the dark, to dash off in the car and

scramble up a hill is a bit of an undertaking......for

which we are amply rewarded- its such soul food for

us all.......)

Candles.....

Today was an egg candle making day.
Some would say that it is a bit of a process,
and well...they could be right.

I started out with a dozen eggs from our
chooks and inspiration from this wonderful
book.

First I cracked open all the eggs, made a small
hole in the bottom and threaded the wick through.




Then I filled each with beeswax, securing the wick
with matchsticks.

When it had cooled I cracked open the eggs......

And set to work to decorate them.



I used thin candle decorating wax and tiny cake decorating

cutters. And the results......well I was rather pleased.

And of course we had to light one on the table at dinner

time, just to make sure that they worked.

Before they are parcelled off to the school

fundraiser, for which they were intended.

I do hope they will be enjoyed in their

new homes!

Easter-ish inspiration....

We lit the fire for the first time tonight,
it seems like such a cosy celebration of
drawing in.
It's been a cloudy/overcast day, at
home with my little ones, made brighter
by the decision to decorate the Easter tree.
We have been anticipating it for days, with the
box of goodies sitting ready.

How nice to unpack a growning stash of

little treasures, and to lose oneself in

the happy task of arranging them.

What a lovely reward, for a few minutes

of branch trimming and careful decorating.....

a pretty little scene, to brighten our

living space.

An Indian summer.....

Could it be that I am enjoying these last little

lingerings of summer? The sunny warm days

that somehow seem all the more beautiful

because I know they wont last......

Happy summer-ish Autumn to you.........

A bit of a challenge......

Sometimes, parts of my life fall to the
wayside........ and my days seems awash
with busyness.

Sometimes, when I am busy and fraught
it is hard to put energy into the things that
truly nurture me. Its hard to find the creativity,
energy and enthusiasm to redress the balance.

To unclutter corners of my life on various levels,
to let fresh air and light flow in.

This has been very much the case with my
sewing room. It has been somewhat scrambled,
for some time......and I feel the time is approaching
when I need to make a start.......


In a way its a glorious mess, full of possibilities
(If I could ever find anything....) and as I scramble
over bags of clay and wicker and paper making
supplies, I marvel at how organised it could be,
if I was to devote the time to it.

It really is a bit of a mess.....





And although this little wooden lady smiles
demurely, I know that she is secretly less than
happy with the condition of her room....some would say
even a little disappointed.








But amidst the mess there really is such potential for a
lovely, sunny little spot. In which to do lots of crafty things.





And so I present to you, my dear patient reader,
a bit of a challenge........
Perhaps at some stage in the near future you will find
a sewing room post,with pictures of something of a
transformation. Of treasures discovered and things
in their rightful place.

Wish me luck!

Still life in Autumn

I wonder if there is any finer sight than a beautiful
bowl of pears, on an early autumn day. Such a wonderful
feeling of abundance and gathering in.



And a heart felt hope that I will feel a bit of the stillness
of life this autumn.

Loving this boy just now......

How I am enjoying this boy just now. I love his passionate
enthusiasm for natural history, for nature and for all things
wild and untamed.

I love the little collections of things that find their way into
our house, which seem terribly boy-ish to me, in the nicest
possible way.



I love his strong connection with the natural world.

And the prospect of all that we have to share,

as the seasons change.

It is as it should be for a small boy, finding

his place in the world.

Turning.....

Could it be that Autumn has come......

Fetch the golden harvest......there has already been talk in

our house of going apple picking, of toasting marshmallows,

of horse chestnuts and Easter......

March...

How I love March Lillies, that something so
beautiful can appear as if by magic out of the
dryness..... surely a cause for a little celebration.



There was such a lovely stillness in the air
today, almost like a pause in nature, a
moment between seasons. It is the first
day of Autumn after all.

A happy March to you!

Autumn anticipation.......

Along one side of our garden, there is a rather overgrown,
entanglement of roses, errant grape vines and blackberries,
which I secretly love. It feels like a bit of hedgerow to me....
I like to watch tiny birds dart in and out......





And gaze at the blackberries as they magically unfold.....







I love Blackberries, they have the comforting feel of
Autumn about them, in all their ripe glossiness.



I feel hope that the outstretch of summer is almost at a close
and that it is time to gather in.

And so we made some Bramble Jelly to celebrate......

How lucky that we picked just enough for the recipe...

And that I had two small helpers at hand, to fervently

scrape out the last morsels in the pan.

What a joy that our first attempt at jam making resulted in

two delicious jars of beautifully set jam!

Could this mean that Autumn is just around the corner.........

Golden Brown......

When everywhere seems dry, stretched and
open as far as it can be....and I find myself
longing for green and moist and cool.

When I feel that summer's heat and dust
has almost taken all I have to give.......

I wish to reach deep inside myself, to celebrate the

beauty and uniqueness of this season of nature.

To find a place in my heart to love this golden brown........

From little things, big things grow.......

Six years ago, this greatly anticipated and loved little being came
into our lives.....and quite frankly life has never been the same since.
It has been a journey of such tenderness, joy, beauty, heartache,
wonderment and delight....quite beyond words....




And through it all I am left wondering quite how this tiny
baby could have somehow vanished before my eyes and
become this vibrant, intelligent 6 year old, so full of his own
thoughts, passions, schemes and adventures.



He received such a beautifully diverse collection of
birthday gifts, such a lovely match for the boy that he is......

A basket of craft materials.....




A beautifully woven treasure basket.....which is now filled with
emu feathers.......





A lovely weaving loom......



And to his absolute delight, a fishing rod from one of his dear
school friends. Which was swiftly followed by a tackle box from
his Grandma, complete with worms...... oh my!

Then there was the small matter of Spot and Goldy, collected
from the pet shop on the birthday morning......



And carefully introduced to their new home......to the wonder
and delight of us all.



What a lucky birthday.......
HAPPY BIRTHDAY my sweet pea!

A bit of a milestone.......

My big boy lost a tooth a little while back, it came out
one sunny afternoon, whilst biting into a juicy peach.....


It really feels as though we are on the cusp of a new phase of

childhood. There is a sense of excitement at the fresh

journey ahead....and a feeling of such melancholy at all

that has already passed.

The tooth was duly hidden under his pillow

at bedtime, snug and secure in a tiny Indian

pot. And of course the tooth fairy didn't

disappoint.......magically in the morning the

tooth was gone, and in its place was the

shiniest gold coin we have ever seen and

two tiny crystals.