The Middle Years

I've just dropped the girls off at a drama workshop in town. 

They skipped down the road, greeting friends. Happy chatter, and dance steps all the way.

Now I'm home, Vanilla Chai steeping on my desk and dog curled up on my bed. 

Morning debris litters the floors and surfaces; odd socks, bits of felt and lavender from a sewing project, toast crumbs, felt tip pens, crayons and half read books.

I should be tidying instead of writing but I've got my priorities straight.

When the children were tiny, people used to tell me to treasure every moment as before I knew it they would be all grown up and independent.

I did treasure their little years. 

Through the fog of sleep deprivation and squirming bodies pushing me off the edge of the bed I found a truer, humbler, simpler me. 

People often say you loose yourself when you become a mother but I think that perhaps you find a deeper, truer self. A part of you that is not reliant on a certain fashion or hairstyle or external thing to define or realize it. 

I remember those stark, bright and luminous mornings staring into the eyes of a sweet smelling, milk filled baby wondering whether this might be the most precious moment of my life. 

I remember those magical afternoons throwing bread to ducks and sticks under the bridge and digging up mud pies in the back garden.

For some reason I always assumed life would get less complicated as they grew older. 

And life is far less emotionally and physically intense. The sense of anxiety and vulnerability is not as strong. Even if worries only change rather than disappear. 

When they were small I lived from moment to moment. Hopping from pebble to pebble across the stream of days. 

Breakfast, Laundry, Play, Lunch. Rest, Walk, Teatime, Bath and Bed.

Embracing the moment fully allowed me to find peace and center. 

Living in the fullness of the moment stopped me from seeking distraction or diversion that would inevitably be frustrated by a daily round of  routines on repeat.

These days I'm far more in the inane, chattering, part of my head. It is akin to trying not to loose your footing whilst paddling in fast, flowing shallow streams rather than having to hold your breath while diving into endlessly, deep oceans.

It's not always a good fit for my personality.

I'm an introverted type that likes to dance to a gentle, simple, familiar rhythm. 

The hustle, bustle and general randomness of raising a gaggle of kids approaching teen-dom is at times, a little overwhelming.

When they were tiny, we would gather around the table to do an activity. Huddled like duckings, we'd complete our daily tasks and although I was the only one who could competently clean up afterwards there was, usually only one mess to clean up at a time.

Saying all this it is truly a wonder to watch the girls develop their own art, craft, baking projects over the holidays even if it has also involved a LOT of simultaneous mess making.

While one gets out ingredients in the kitchen another will be making handmade cards using every last item from our arts and crafts stash.

And another still, will be sewing homemade lavender bags upstairs or practicing dance routines at full volume in front of the mirror.

This is wonderful for Nola. Older siblings provide a wonderland of entertainment for a four year old. She is exposed to so many different ideas and resources. 

She soaks it all up like a sponge and more often than not comes up with her very own variations on themes.

I love the sparks of creativity that explode around the house.

I love the energy, the evolving dynamics and the long, debates and conversations about  obscure and fleeting obsessions. 

I love the way they still snuggle in my lap to watch "The Great British Bake Off" yet can easily make their own cheese sandwiches and cups of tea.

Now that Emmy is moving into her own apartment, working and going to college I realize how very precious each Summer is.

All the crumbs, clothes and toppling book stacks are really just the signs of a life well lived.



Sharing with Little Things Thursday

Hat and Gloves {Yarn Along}

Last night I finished my hat and sewed up the seams on my second glove.

Either my tension was a bit off or my head is unusually small because the hat is a little loose.
I think I might gather the back seam and sew it a little tighter.

Saying that, I do like the pattern very much. I like the garter stitch edge and the artisan/casual look as my daughter describes it :)

I used Sirdar Divine Yarn in Lucia for both the hat and gloves.
The hat was made using  this Ravelry pattern.
The gloves were made using a pattern from Erica Knight's Classic Collection.

 

Joining Frontier Dreams and Yarn Along

Herbal Salves, Oils, Baths and Balms {Otherwise known as Potionmaking}

 

 Over the last few weeks we have been doing what my children refer to as "potion making."

The pictures below have been gathered over the last couple of years of  herbal adventuring.

We gather and Identify herbs from our little herb patch before putting into posies to dry 
upside down in a cool, dark cupboard.

Once dry we made jars of Chamomile and Mint tea to store.

Camomile is good for soothing tummies and has naturally calming properties.

Mint is invigorating and a perfect mid morning pick me up.

We infused some olive oil with Sage, Lemon balm and Rosemary by heating it slowly with the herb before bottling. This oil can be used for cooking with or combined with other ingredients such as Beeswax, Shea butter, Coconut oil and Essential oil to make therapeutic balms, and salves.

Here is our Rosemary infused Olive Oil. 

 Rosemary is shrouded in history and folklore. From ancient Greece through the European Middle Ages, rosemary was thought to possess the power to protect against evil spirits. Sprigs were placed under pillows or burned as incense to ward off evil demons and prevent bad dreams.

Rosemary is a rich source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds thought to help boost the immune system and improve blood circulation. 
However, it is wise to avoid if pregnant as high doses have been linked to miscarriage.

We made Lavender oil by covering our dried lavender with 80% proof white vodka and sealing it for 6 weeks in  a cool, dark drawer. It was stirred daily and after six weeks we removed the lid and covered the jar with muslin. This allowed the excess liquid to evaporate. It took about a week for the smell of alcohol to dissipate leaving the concentrated plant extract and oil. You must use alcohol that is at least 80% proof for this but not methylated spirits. Vodka works very well. 
As you can imagine this little concoction is for external use only!

Beautiful debris.

Bottling.

A few drops of this Lavender oil can be added to baths or bath salts to soothe fractious nerves and aid restful sleep.

Soon it will be time for sloes again! Last year we made sloe gin. You must pierce each and every sloe berry so that they can infuse with the liquor and large quantities of sugar. We've found that sloe gin makes a very well received Christmas gift and a welcome, warming tipple for Winter visitors.
We use the recipe from An Illustrated Country Year.

We managed to dry Rose petals as well as Lavender.

Rose petals have natural anti-inflammatory and antibacterial proprieties which make them good for acne prone skin.
If you crush rose petals between your fingers you can feel the natural, fragrant oils seep out. These oils are naturally moisturizing and slightly astringent so they work to both hydrate and tone.

The scent of Rose is deeply nostalgic. Indeed, the petals are a staple in Ayurvedic medicine to detoxify and calm.

 

The dried flowers were mixed in layers of Epsom salt, sprinklings of bicarbonate of soda and our homemade lemon balm and lavender oils for warming scented Winter baths.

We also blended some of the dried rose petals in and mixed them to a paste with a couple of tablespoons of cold pressed olive oil and some Bergamot essential oil. Mixing the paste with a couple of cups of Epsom salts makes a lovely, fragrant body scrub.

Epsom Salts are a wonderful, natural source of Magnesium and can help balance the PH. Salts can also help soothe muscular aches and pains.

To make a Winter Salve perfect for chapped hands, feet and lips, we carefully melted some Beeswax using a wax burner. We shredded our wax but will probably use pellets next time as the shredded wax took ages to melt.


We mixed in some Shea Butter and Coconut Oil until we achieved a soft consistency and the balm became a soft buttery colour.

 Then we added a couple of tablespoon of Lemon Balm infused Olive oil. And some drops of essential oil.

 Lemon Balm was dedicated to the goddess Diana, and used medicinally by the Greeks some 2,000 years ago. 

Research has shown that the plant contains polyphenols which can help to sooth cold sores. At least part of this effect is due to antiviral properties of caffeic acid and rosmarinic acid, which are contained in lemon balm. This makes it perfect for use in salves and balms. 

The bright lemony yellow foliage is also very pretty and fragrant in the garden.

This page has lots of wonderful information on the properties and uses of herbs.

And Here is a wonderful resource of Herbs and their properties.

(Discalimer) Herbs are powerful.  Please consult a local herbalist for any contraindications before making and using herbal remedies.

{52 Project} 15/01/15

 Seraphina

 Boo

 Emmy

 Emmy and Florence

 Mathilde

 Mathilde

 Nola

Sylvie

Joining Practicing Simplicity
& Black and White Wednesday