Beach Pottery

 My hands are itchy, they have to make, craft, form and mold. Even if that means simply arranging flowers in a jar, quotes in a journal or feathers on a windowsill.

We found these beautiful chalk pebbles at the sea a couple of weeks ago.

In their perfectly formed clods I saw a bird, a pear, a whale, a bear.... The children were inspired.

I used to love to use charcoal as a medium. It is messy. Beware and prepared with old shirt's and warm soapy cloths on hand. 

I remember buying some shards of charcoal years ago ( the brittle stick type they used to sell ) with my school trip pocket money. Scarcely holding the feathery sticks between my fingers lest they disintegrate I made endless spidery lines that would eventually be smudged to incoherence.

 The beauty of charcoal is it washes off the stone quite easily if you make a mistake. I will seal these pebbles with clear nail polish to preserve their designs.

Two little hats

Finally finished two little hats for two little girls.  

The pattern is from the book Simple knits for little cherubs.

The yarn used is Sirdar Divine.

Joining Frontier Dreams, Small Things & Natural Suburbia

Peaceful Seeds

• Sitting by the French doors with knitting in hands watching the rain fall in streams on the grateful plants

• The smell of rained-on earth

• Sunlight seeping through dim cloud

• Saturday morning conversation and croissants

• The sacred quiet of early morning 

• Scones made by Matilda

• Tomatoes on the vine

• Sylvie dog curled up at the end of the bed.

Joining Wooly Moss Roots &;  A Field of Wild Flowers.
            & Little by Little

Nola Jo

and her turquoise toes.

{ Blogging }

I have been blogging on and off for around 9 years. During that time I've taken many sabbaticals. 

I've also had many different blogs over the years.

I've often wondered why I've moved from one blog to the other rather than staying in one place. 

It seems a little schizophrenic.

Each blog represents a different aspect of my life I suppose. 

I have my writing life, my crafting - doll making life - my family life - my spiritual life and my political, thinking, pondering and wondering life.

Each is a part of me yet together they seem a little broad to stand beneath a single umbrella.

Perhaps, categorizing everything is a kind of virtual housekeeping. 

I'm not generally into categories. People are gorgeous shape-shifters, beyond label. Yet niche  has become convention. It can be scary to reveal too much, I understand that well myself. Who is reading your words beyond family and friends {both virtual and real}

I've also assumed that blog readers who would be interested in my crafting might not be so interested in my ideas on politics, health, spirituality or home and family life so it has made sense to create a different blog to cover each subject.

This blog is already beginning to refocus away from articles on homeschooling and I am hoping it will integrate more aspects of my life and thoughts without alienating current readers.

During this period of healing, this space has become a place of reflection and a channel for my creativity.  

 I write for myself but I also love connecting with others through the medium of blogging.

I don't fit into categories very easily and my tastes and interests are very eclectic. 

Over the years I've morphed from Christian mum blogger to craft blogger to home-school blogger, to poetry blogger, I even tried political blogger but found it way too stressful {this is meant to be virtual therapy} Each of those bloggers is equally  a part of me. Yet, under convention they can't meet! 

Or can they? Mmmm.

I love connecting with people who are very different from myself. I love to learn, grow and have my perspectives challenged.

Health-wise, I am feeling so much better but I still have some wobbly days and tremendous tiredness. Writing and photography is very soothing for me so this place is a wonderful outlet and I am grateful for it and the people I've met through it.

Blogging has changed very much over the last decade. As I wrote in my comment over at Spirit Cloth:

" Blogging has definitely changed during the years. Not necessarily for the worse as some might say. I think the blog world has diversified which is good. It is more open and less cliquey and people are less fearful of commenting and connecting with people of different views, lifestyles etc... It has become more of a commercial platform though and in that there is a danger that bloggers can be perceived to lack authenticity in order to gain followers. I think it is usually quite easy to tell the difference between a commercial blogger and a genuine artist/writer etc and people can be free to connect with what resonates best with them... I love blogging and bloggers, it is a great way to connect, reflect, learn and grow."

And with that I'll close my small ode to blogs and bloggers.

Have a lovely day. The sun is shining brightly here. I hope it is shining brightly with you too!

I'm off to the garden :) xx

A Fairy Picnic

Lavender Cordial

cream cheese and parsley sandwiches {with the crusts cut off}

wild strawberries from our garden

 Sharing with Little Things Thursday &
Made by you Mondays

Some interesting reads from around the web this week.

 

Some interesting links I've happily stumbled upon this week.

I am in the process of building a pinterest board of inspiring women for my girls.

"Now I Become Myself" So happy Tonia is writing again.

How Wolves change rivers: A beautiful and moving short film illustrating the unique importance of primary predators such as wolves in the health of eco-systems.

Teaching Kids when to Break the law at Rebel Parents. Food for thought.

Post Natal Depletion even ten years later: Mama Care.

Doesn't this school look wonderful? Learning in the woods with Mighty Oaks.

Happy news! Hobbit house family save their beautiful, handmade abode from the bulldozers.

Who's Gonna Stand Up: The Woman who Married a Bear.

A beautiful and moving talk from Bioneers, Robin Kimmerer:

"The Teachings of Grass"

Thankful for...

• Long conversations.
• Pretend camping with Nola under covers.
• Hiking up the hill and through the wood with Tani, Sylvie dog and a thermos of Red-bush tea.
• Knitting simple, therapeutic garter stitch squares.
• Boo's hand-sewn dragon-wings.
• A little owl roosting on our garden wall.
• Girls' making teeny tiny sandwiches with crusts cut off  for the garden fairies.
• Getting to spend time with my eldest girl now college is out for Summer.
• Quiet, rainy Sunday morning for writing, reading, cups of tea while children sleep.
• A new outdoor table and chair set. Looking forward to warm, lantern lit Summer evenings eating al fresco.
• Feeling so much better after months of one illness after another.
• Cornfields dotted with Poppies.      

 Sharing with Wooly Moss Roots

Intentions and affirmations

For the last year Emmy has been studying complimentary therapy and massage at college.  At the end of term she had to manage the Salon as part of her course. On that day she was allowed to decorate the salon and bring in props.

One idea which we have now adopted here at home was an intention bowl. 

An intention bowl (it could be a basket ) is filled with intentions, affirmations and inspiring quotations. 

Friends  pick an intention as a small gift when they come to visit.

Eyes closed shut, the girls often pick an intention during the day and give it to me as a surprise.

I'll keep my intention on the windowsill as like a message in a bottle reminding me to remain centred no matter the distractions around me during the day.

We wrote our own messages and affirmations and used quotes from scriptures, poetry and favourite authors. We printed them onto water colour paper and cut them out. 

I think they would look nice with water colour washes over them but today we are keeping it simple.

Linking with Artful Homemaker