weary, space and sale

M now has the sickness bug. My poor babies, they have been feeling so poorly all week. Me? I am just a bit tired of the sick and the snot now....(sorry).

I did manage a coffee in a cafe today, browsing through a book borrowed from the library. It was 15 minutes of quiet solitude which made me feel ready to face the world again. Bring on the sick bucket.

Tomorrow is the NCT nearly new sale. I don't want to get too excited in case there are fewer good things than usual...normally I come home with boatloads of bargains.

better, phone call and swept

We all have a bug and have been feeling grotty for the last 24 hours. This afternoon, I have started to feel a bit more like me again.

I got a phone call out of the blue that made my day and made me want to jump around the kitchen (and I will, tomorrow, when I am back on top form).

The chimney sweep came. His name was Evan and he was the most charming old fashioned professional man I have ever met. We are all set for winter.

family, fulfilled and yoga

My parents have been here for 3 days. I like having my family around me. My house felt full and busy. It's quiet and a bit sad this morning now they have left.

My college stuff is going really well. I cannot learn enough about my chosen subject. I like feeling this fulfilled and purposeful.

Yoga class last night. The feeling you get the morning after a class should be bottled and sold. I cannot describle how much better I feel.

sign, songs and dark

A sign on the side of a flower shop van, 'we travel miles for smiles'.

Driving to college today I heard 2 new songs that I just loved and had to come home and 'google'.

Following a tractor in the near dark I realised the white 'load' in the back was actually 3 enormous cows.

well remembered, ladies who lunch and ahead of the game

I remembered, for once, to bring my wellies inside last night, so that this morning I could put them on in the warmth of the kitchen--they weren't wet or cold as they so often are...they were just....toasty.

The sparrows around the pile of seeds I put on the bird table remind me of a group of women sitting around a table chattering...nodding enthusiastically, butting in when others are talking and flitting here and there tending to unseen babies.

I have done what I wanted to do this week, by today. Which means I have tomorrow to do some unexpected stuff. I feel as if I am ahead. It won't last, but I am enjoying it while I can.

Finished, creative and just us.

I have finished my 'bit' of M's birthday pressie. For her up-coming 4th, R has made her a wooden dolls bed and I have made the quilt and pillow. It looks rustic, sweet and just like your mum made it. I hope it lasts so that she can show her children.

Our house looks like a creative bomb has gone off this afternoon. I have been sewing and the children colouring, building boats and 'cooking' in their kitchen. I love afternoons like this. We are all just pottering purposefully and getting little things done.

R is away tonight. It's ok though...being just us.

inside, perfect and toast.

Coming back inside after walking the dogs this morning. Being back in the kitchen was a like pulling on your favourite woolly.

I watched the children tucking in to their breakfast--and just thought 'they're mine....and they're perfect.'

Homemade bread --toasted, butter and marmite. Why would you want anything else?

carefully, soup and fulfilled

Finally, after 2 days of being blown around like paper people, the wind has stopped. My 3 year old noticed this morning that the trees, at last, were still. "The wind's blowing carefully now Mummy".

I have been working all morning. In the end I couldn't ignore the hunger pangs any longer..there in the fridge was a cup of bright orange home made squash soup, begging to be microwaved and administered as a pick-me-up.

I have put down on paper all the things that have been flying around in my head for the last 2 days. No more post-it notes here there and everywhere. I feel better and like I have actually DONE something.

harvest, colours, music

We went to the woods. We came back with acorns, sloes and rose hips. The children were in their element.

My mother gave me some cottons from her sewing basket. Back in the days of wooden reels, they gave the colours names instead of the souless numerical codes of today's plastic reels. My favourite is Gay Kingfisher. The colour is just as you would imagine.

We have been listening to music all afternoon. The children are still singing and dancing around long after it's switched off.