Monday, 11 April 2011

The Best Things in Life are Free......




:: Heart Shaped Ice Cubes in Lime Cordial in a Green Glass ::



:: Wild Daffodils on the way home from the Dentist in Grindleford ::


:: Spirea Branches - From a weekend of Gardening ::


:: A Smattering of Summer Freckles - Sun Kisses for a Seven Year Old ::


:: Discovering the Dicenta in Full Bloom after a harsh winter ::


:: Open Windows letting in a Warm but Fresh Breeze ::


:: Forget me Nots - From the Garden ::


:: Blue, Blue Sky ::


:: Musscari from the Garden - In an old school Milk Bottle ::


:: Tiny Blooms against a Ben Simmons Clock::


:: Colour ::


:: Sunlight Sparkles up the Walls & on the Ceiling - My Favourite Place for an Afternoon Rest :: 


:: Handmade Mothers Day Card from my 7 Year Old ::


:: Yes, I really do look like this! ::


This weekend, I heard Janet Jackson & Luther Vandross on the Radio
It brought back memories of past Summers & inspired this post.

Wishing you all a week of Free Best Things

Lx




Friday, 1 April 2011

31 Things for 31 Days



1. How the time has flown since my last post - 31 days ago.

2. The 10 year old has completed all 7 Harry Potter Books


3. Suprise & Delight at finding the Earagon Books for £1.99 (thankyou Louise for pointing me in the direction of them)

4. I have discovered the delights of Saturday morning shopping with Tea & Toast in a cafe with my 7 year old, and having the time to sit & listen to whatever is foremost in her mind.

5. I drove to Barnsley (3 times!) for a 3 day communication course. Okay, this is huge for me, I don't like driving to new places, especially motorway driving. I had to be Very, Very, brave....

6. I survived being videoed with an actor for a role play session during the course (inner thespian truly released).

7. We've had glorious sunshine here in Derbyshire, and oh how the first blast of spring sunshine lifts the soul!


8. First picnic tea of the Summer

9. The ice cream van starting its round again - Its been calling for 10 years & heralds summer arriving. That's 4 99's with sauce & sprinkles please...


10. Rediscovering Marmalade on toast. A forgotten pleasure.

11. Having our first barbeque of 2011 (eating indooors though)


12. Spring bulbs flowering in the Sunshine


13. Spring flowers & Shadows


14. Lemon Easter Cupcakes


15. Steaming Coffee in New Mugs (Note to self - I drink too much Coffee when tired or overwhelmed with juggling)



16. From a favourite shop



17. Realising its good to take time out to just to potter in some of my favourite places, especially after an hour of dental treatment & a very numb mouth!


18. Created Gallery's new Premises.

19. Trying not to laugh at the 7 year old as she tries to bond by discussing cars with her big brother - She likes 'Spaghetti Veyrons'.

20. Breathing a sigh of relief at Parents Evening - Phew, a teacher who gets my son. 


21. Choosing Curtain Fabric for our bus (we went for the red & blue on the left).


22. Legless Barbies


 23. Chocolate Maderia Cake - 4 pints, 2.5 hours to bake


24. Hallelujah! 


25. Red Nose Day Silly Socks - Dare I admit that I glued the pom poms on whilst my daughter was wearing insitu - with a glue gun? It wasn't till she quietly mentioned how warm it was that I realised the glue had slightly seeped through her socks. My daughter has had her first leg wax.....


26. Red Nose Day Cookies for the 10 year old.


27. Finally after over a year (seriously), taking 5 minutes to glue & fix the bed angel. One happy small person.



28. Smug smile to self at the double headed tulips from the village green grocers.


 29. And big excitment at finding Parrott Tulips in the Grocers a week later.


30. Seeing our bus being transformed from this....


31. To this....

Thinking about the adventures we hope to have in him as a family

Umm I think that was 32 things! 

Life has been busy, & sometimes its easy to forget the pleaure in the day to day ordinary things, as well as taking pleasure in the extraordinary.

Hope you have all had a good 30 days, and thankyou so very much for your lovely comments you left on my last post - I hope to get back to you all soon.

Lx

Friday, 4 March 2011

:: I :: Heart :: Books ::



:: It's been World Book Day Today::

And smallest person dressed up as her favourite book character 

:: Mr Mole :: from Wind in the Willows ::


Now I have to admit, dressing up days fill me with terror - Have I got the right day? is usually the first thought, as I sneak a peak at other children on the way to school 
:: Yes, plenty of Dorothy's and Superheros ::

Then there is the panic as small one says she wants to be a mole. 
:: Not a princess - no, that would be far to easy, as we already have plenty of princess clothes ::

There is a flashback to the time I sent my 3year old to school as a Knight, the only one in a homemade costume, and his teacher kindly pointing out, that his tin foil covered wellies had shed all over the Nursery. 
:: No prizes with the teacher there then, despite the 3yr old wearing black glittery tights in leui of chain mail trousers ::

And then the reminder by the husband that small person is worried about wether her outfit would be ready.
:: As he boards a plane for 3 days away - & I am juggling work, smalls & house ::

I am a mummy who responds well to pressure though. Thankfully, rolled up big brother's trousers & waistcoat come in handy. A Blue Peter moment with the pipe cleaners, and 

:: Ta-Da! Mr Mole and a happy small one ::



:: I love books whatever day it is ::

As a child I read early, and grew up with my nose in a book. Being sent to my bedroom was bliss in a house of 6 children... Childhood memories of Enid Blytons Faraway Tree, & Wishing Chair. Reading my mum's 'What Katie Did' books. Tucking my book under the duvet, so I could read in the light summer evenings when I should have been asleep. Teachers reading, and leaving us at the end of day, wanting the next chapter....

Growing up with books full of romance & passion, thinking, hoping that life would immitate art....

Still now, I read whenever I can. There is always a pile of books at my bedside, inviting, tempting me to pick up and read... Distracting me from the house work, taking me away from the day, quietening my mind.

:: How I dislike a book that doesn't grip me, or limps to an end. Frustrating. What a waste of anticipation and excitment ::

I like a book that I learn from, or that takes me away, challanges my preconceptions. A book that makes me laugh, or one that makes me weep. A book that I can still feel days/weeks after I read it. 

I measure holiday's by the books I have managed to read


:: I am lucky to have one natural reader. She loves her books almost as much as her mum ::





The 10 year old has been far different. He struggled to read initially, with the concentration of a gnat, reading just wasn't his thing. Unless it was short factual reading. Big hits have been the annual Guiness Book of Records, or books about inventions, tractors, dinosaurs....

But a story book? No way, never, not on your nellie...

:: Until Cosmic Boy - which rocked his reading world ::


Superficially I have to admit, I liked the shiny jacket, & I really was just trying in desperation.... He picked it up, and didn't want to put it down. I had to listen to potted snippets at the dinner table. I realised he may have some of his mum in him after all. I gave thanks....

:: Then his honorary Aunty L bought him the first two Harry Potter Books ::

Now there is no stopping him, one Amazon shop later and he is on the penultimate book. He sets his alarm in the morning, so he can read for an hour before school.

There was even some serious half term PJ wearing reading. I think it has helped that he hasn't seen the films, so the books are holding his attention and his imagination is running riot...


 :: Now I am looking for the next book to feed him ::

 And G?


Well you can't have it all ways, & really his bed time reading is quite interesting, and could be worse....


Finally, I have discovered this book - It is a gem, and I think it deserves a post of its own....

:: Perhaps you will indulge me? ::


Love Lydia xx

Wednesday, 23 February 2011

Love :: Friendship :: Love


                            
Love :: For the man who took me away to the City I Love



Freindship :: Being joined by our mutual freinds


Love :: My Favourite Department Store


Love :: Big bunches of my favourite flowers, that wouldn't survive the plane home.



Love :: For the man who carried a Bag of Bulbs home                                      


Love:: In the moment - My son, who loves his bed, I-touch & Harry Potter books,
& who at 10, still loves Eyeore beyond measure (tucked under his arm)


::Friendship - Half term sticking with best friend


Friendship :: Thankyou cards for having another little friend to play


Friendship:: The colleague who cared enough to bring me flowers 



:: Freindship - Because she recognised that I am struggling with work at the moment


Freindship:: When an unexpected gift arrives from a blog freind


Love :: Made with Love


Love :: Our new arrival - before he left sunny California for damp Derbyshire. 


:: Love & Freindship - Looking towards days full of Love & Freindship::

Lx