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.

Rose petal baths....

I do believe it has finally arrived, a
long, hot spell almost worthy of an
Indian summer. There is something
overwhelming about the heat, it feels
inescapable.......but amidst it all I am
trying to somehow succumb instead of
resist. To feel the sensuality of it all, to
find things that match this part of the
summer season..... to meet it as it comes.

With this in mind, what a fitting time
for a cool rose petal bath......

To wallow amidst beautiful rose petals and ponder

my next summer survival plans.

Some incense perhaps to burn as night falls, a lovely festive

summer meal......sunset at the beach???

......A plane ticket to somewhere cool?

A wonderful discovery.....

It is amazing what delights can be found on an evening walk,
at long last a Christmas Beetle....we think.
What a magic discovery!

Sand between the toes......

We've been "all at sea..." over the last week.
Enjoying all that the ocean has to offer, before the
true heat of summer arrives.
Oh how thankful I have been for the lovely
warm sunny weather that has hovered around
30 degrees, perfect for days spent learning to
swim by the ocean.

Something truly lovely and summer-ish!

A tiny bit of fun...

Leading up to Christmas, we looked at the not insubstantial
collection of wooden diggers, trucks and trains around the
playroom and decided something different was called for.
So this year, we took a bit of a gamble and
decided to give our two little boys a dolls house.

My dad very kindly agreed to make it and duly set to work.
The results were I must say rather lovely.....

I had a most enjoyable time making little bits and pieces,

buying a few items of furniture and a most beautiful tiny

family to live there.

And the result???? A dolls house that has been enjoyed by both

boys, perhaps a little more by the smaller of the two, but none

the less a welcome change from diggers....

Not in the least, I suspect for their mother.....

And the new little occupants you ask? How are they fairing?

Well its amazing what interesting little parallels develop......

Mama doesn't say, but I think she secretly wishes the

baby would go to sleep a bit earlier......

And the tree, now that the presents have been opened,

is looking a bit forlorn....

I suspect grandma and helper are planning

a bit of post Christmas fabric shopping

whilst the sales are in full swing.

Grandpa is quite frankly wondering where

his next meal is coming from....

And the boys have their own plans for the garden,

branches that need to be pruned and mowing to be

done.





All in all, I think they are hoping for a bit

of peace and tranquility to settle into

the new year and enjoy the beauty of their

new abode.

With two busy little boys at the helm,

I don't fancy their chances,

but we can but hope.......

A little merriment......

A few years back I was so glad to
discover a lovely little family ritual
for New Year in this treasure of
a book. Since then it has become
a firm favourite around here.....

It goes a bit like this.........
First we gather some flowers from
the garden. ( I so love the combination
of small children, pajamas and beautiful
mellow, early evening sunlight...)

We use these flowers, some stones and shells

to decorate a large bowl of water on the

table.

We gather round to write slightly silly little

clues on small cards. This involves lots of

whispering and excitement.

"Once there was a

little house

And in it was a

little mouse....."

Then there is a bit of a flurry of

secrecy while the treasure is hidden, the

cards are placed around the bowl

and the fun begins...

In turn, we each float a candle lit walnut boat in the water and

watch as it sails......the clue nearest to its final resting place,

then belongs to the owner of the boat.

There tends to be a bit of gentle encouraging of the

little boats on their voyage and general merriment as

they set sail.

Before we each read our clues and dash off to locate

the hidden treasure, which tends to be chocolate coins...




In future years, we might as the book suggests, include a

few more opportunities to predict the fortunes of the coming

year. Perhaps an Isle of Luck, a safe harbour etc , but it

is just right for us with little ones, in its simple treasure

finding form just now.

A lovely little celebration of the New Year really.

May you have a wonderful New Year, where ever your journey

takes you!

Summer love.....

Could there be any greater perfection
on a summers day than this........

So delicate, light and airy....

A perfect balm for the soul, a little post christmas

serenity really.......