Peaks

Yesterday I met up with one of my very oldest friends Helen and her lovely gang of collies for a walk up at Stanage Edge in the Peak District. With a poorly Sam and plenty of housework to keep me occupied today, no crafting has been achieved I'm afraid but here are some snaps from yesterday at the very least.

A little hazy and breezy but beautiful as ever.
Wishing you all a great start to a new week.
S. x

Gathering

As is becoming a bit of a habit, I put off the inevitable task of planning for the coming week with a walk and now a blog post - procrastination should be my middle name! Not that the walk on this beautiful sunny Sunday didn't provide some inspiration for things to do with my littles as the season slowly changes.


A rarely trodden path for me today. Longer and equally busier and quieter in turns as I met many a dog (and owner), muddy cyclists and myriad fat ponies (with riders) before disappearing into the woods and seeing no one at all until the Cani-X gang at the bottom carpark... perhaps that explains the bottles of water and dog bowls I spotted on the path through the woods.

Nothing quite like a little gathering to get the planning session started and the ideas flowing. Now laminated to hopefully preserve the colours my leaves and a few other bits and pieces are ready to go into school for the children to investigate.
Enjoy the sunshine all!
S. x

Gratitude over desire

More and more lately I have found myself wanting. Wanting a house of our own, wanting a job that gives me more free time, wanting a family, wanting more of this, wanting a little of that. And I know that all of this will come in time, with a little patience (and then a little more). So today I reminded myself to be grateful for what I have now. So here we go...

Right now I am grateful for...
::: Sam, every little moment, word and touch. I do love him so.
::: friends and shared hobbies, conversations, interests.
::: crafting - fiber in hand, peddle under foot, iron heating up, you name it, I love it.
::: my camera, now nearly eight years old and still able  to capture moments so beautifully with so little effort.
::: a job, the bulk of which I love. Spending my days in the company of many young and creative minds is such an inspiration.
::: family, although not seen very often, always in my heart and mind and always there when needed.
::: woods and walks, animals wild and tame, the natural world in general - so essential to me now I think I could never live in a city or town again. I feel I always need to be able to see the sky.

Hoping you enjoy the rest of your weekend.
S. x

A gift and a beginning...

Just a quick post today. Firstly to say thank you to my dear mama who sent me some beautifully soft alpaca wool last week. Not sure what it's going to become yet and it's finer than my usual crochet yarn so may call for something a little different anyway. During the rain storm yesterday, whose ferocity was quite a surprise after the sunshine of the day before, the wool was wound (with only a few knots!) and now sits on my 'to-do' pile. I'll keep you posted about that one.

And the other crafting project that I began this weekend? Turning tin cans into candle holders...well, let's say it's not my favourite craft, as a hammer and nail are not my best tools, but it's quite good fun and pretty much free. With a little enamel they can scrub up fairly nicely and I have plans to make these into a mobile of sorts but we'll see.

And to finish off the weekend, yet another harvest - one of many apple gatherings (we are living on crumble at the moment and neither of us complaining) and almost the last of the blueberries.

Wishing you a lovely start to the week.
S. x

Walks

 

  
  

 

 I've taken several walks this week, in the evening after a busy day at work. I find this time of year in school to be so full and overwhelming that when I reach the peace and quiet of home I need to be in the open and walk to organise the many thoughts and ideas and events rushing around my head. And I am blessed enough to have such a beautiful place to walk just behind our house. Though we have lived here for several years now I still take pleasure in the fact that I can say the simple phrase "in the woods behind our house." Such a lovely feeling!
As I walked this week I took time to notice the slow change from summer to autumn - the shortening days, the ripening acorns and chestnuts and the ever-so gradual yellowing of the leaves, the crispness in the early morning and evening air. I plan on carrying on these walks for as long as I can, while the work load is kept on top of as much as it ever is anyway.
Wishing you a lovely weekend.
S. x