Goodbye September

Wow. Tomorrow is October. September went by really quickly, I didn't really notice that happening. That means a month until we start doing Christmas hampers at Besom. A month until our next wedding season starts. Three months until next year. Let's not even think about that one.

So - one month into the Autumn challenge...here's a recap and an update:

1) Add all my favourite summer photos to the digital photo frame. This one is done, and I love seeing them interspersed with the wedding, graduation and birthdays of last year.

2) Take a photo every day of September and post it here. I'm not nearly disciplined enough to do Project365 but I might just manage a month. Well I missed some days (mainly due to unprecedented levels of illness) but September is almost over and I will post a photo collage on Friday. I'm quite pleased with some of the photos but it was harder than I thought it would be.

Day 29:


Day 30:


3) Make something new in the bread maker machine. Oops. I'm pretty sure I haven't done this.

4) Sew these pretty new buttons onto my winter coat.
I definitely haven't done this although I did get the coat dry cleaned in preparation.

5) Finish the wedding scrapbook. Start honeymoon ones or put the photos in an album at least. Again, not nearly done - I don't think I even got out the scrapbook this month. I got distracted with our anniversary weekend book.

6) Send surprise post to three people. Nope, this one is hidden away in my craft drawer.

7) An arty project that I have in my head. It may fall at the first post when I remember that I am not good at painting. We'll see. I got further than I thought I would with this. It's not quite finished but it has progressed.

I'm also adding another goal - number 8) A redesign of my little site. T started helping me the other night so hopefully this one shouldn't take too much longer.

We finished watching Season 4 of Lost this week and I am still loving that ending. Can't wait until the next season comes out - the first time I have ever pre-ordered anything on Amazon. Our home group has moved to Wednesday night as of this evening, and this weekend we have a visit to my parents and sisters planned. Good times.

Plans

I meant to post earlier, I really did. But then I ended up ill on Thursday and asleep most of Friday which wasn't part of the plan. This also meant I missed some photos this week. Also not part of the plan. Never mind, hoping that the last week of September will go better...

So I called some schools on Monday and ended up with a totally mixed bag of responses. I had a meeting today but the school is really too far to go to just for work experience and she said they didn't have the money for a GTP student. So there we go. I'm feeling a bit disheartened with it all - if I could drive things would be a lot easier and I could widen the area I'm looking for schools in. But I can't so for now I'm limited by that.

Apart from the ill and in bed bits, last week was good. I made some cards, we had a home group social playing games, I went to Besom, and on Saturday night we went to a charity fundraising dinner which was fun.

Here are the photos, I can't believe September is almost over...

Day 21:


Day 22:


Day 23:


Day 28:

Sunny Days

We made the most of the summery sunshine this weekend, it was beautiful. England is at that gorgeous in betweeny stage at the moment, summer is fading but the Autumn chills and rains haven't quite arrived yet. We took a picnic up to the park and lay in the sun with our books. {I discovered the collage feature of Picasa this week too...}

On Sunday we ate lunch at the pub in the garden after church with friends, and then played games. It was lovely to spend the afternoon with them.

Day 19:


Day 20:


This one only happened because when I remembered at 11.30pm that I hadn't taken a photo yet, T got out of bed and got my camera for me. We then spent half an hour playing with the manual focus and long exposure settings on the camera. He's lovely, really he is.

Nostalgia and Something Pretty

I stumbled across The Jumblies by Edward Lear the other day. This poem reminds me of my mum - I remember her reciting bits of it, and reading it to me when I was younger.

I

They went to sea in a Sieve, they did,
In a Sieve they went to sea:
In spite of all their friends could say,
On a winter's morn, on a stormy day,
In a Sieve they went to sea!
And when the Sieve turned round and round,
And every one cried, 'You'll all be drowned!'
They called aloud, 'Our Sieve ain't big,
But we don't care a button! we don't care a fig!
In a Sieve we'll go to sea!'
Far and few, far and few,
Are the lands where the Jumblies live;
Their heads are green, and their hands are blue,
And they went to sea in a Sieve.


II

They sailed away in a Sieve, they did,
In a Sieve they sailed so fast,
With only a beautiful pea-green veil
Tied with a riband by way of a sail,
To a small tobacco-pipe mast;
And every one said, who saw them go,
'O won't they be soon upset, you know!
For the sky is dark, and the voyage is long,
And happen what may, it's extremely wrong
In a Sieve to sail so fast!'
Far and few, far and few,
Are the lands where the Jumblies live;
Their heads are green, and their hands are blue,
And they went to sea in a Sieve.


III

The water it soon came in, it did,
The water it soon came in;
So to keep them dry, they wrapped their feet
In a pinky paper all folded neat,
And they fastened it down with a pin.
And they passed the night in a crockery-jar,
And each of them said, 'How wise we are!
Though the sky be dark, and the voyage be long,
Yet we never can think we were rash or wrong,
While round in our Sieve we spin!'
Far and few, far and few,
Are the lands where the Jumblies live;
Their heads are green, and their hands are blue,
And they went to sea in a Sieve.


IV

And all night long they sailed away;
And when the sun went down,
They whistled and warbled a moony song
To the echoing sound of a coppery gong,
In the shade of the mountains brown.
'O Timballo! How happy we are,
When we live in a Sieve and a crockery-jar,
And all night long in the moonlight pale,
We sail away with a pea-green sail,
In the shade of the mountains brown!'
Far and few, far and few,
Are the lands where the Jumblies live;
Their heads are green, and their hands are blue,
And they went to sea in a Sieve.


V

They sailed to the Western Sea, they did,
To a land all covered with trees,
And they bought an Owl, and a useful Cart,
And a pound of Rice, and a Cranberry Tart,
And a hive of silvery Bees.
And they bought a Pig, and some green Jack-daws,
And a lovely Monkey with lollipop paws,
And forty bottles of Ring-Bo-Ree,
And no end of Stilton Cheese.
Far and few, far and few,
Are the lands where the Jumblies live;
Their heads are green, and their hands are blue,
And they went to sea in a Sieve.


VI

And in twenty years they all came back,
In twenty years or more,
And every one said, 'How tall they've grown!
For they've been to the Lakes, and the Torrible Zone,
And the hills of the Chankly Bore!'
And they drank their health, and gave them a feast
Of dumplings made of beautiful yeast;
And every one said, 'If we only live,
We too will go to sea in a Sieve,---
To the hills of the Chankly Bore!'
Far and few, far and few,
Are the lands where the Jumblies live;
Their heads are green, and their hands are blue,
And they went to sea in a Sieve.

I also came across these beauties the other day. They're made by an artist called Anastassia Elias. They must take so much time and carefully cutting.

{Market}


{Grandmother}

These Little Things

Life has been made up of lots of very different things this week. The GTP (Graduate Teacher Programme) meeting on Tuesday was good, and more useful than I'd expected. I came away feeling that this was something I really wanted to do, better informed...but still facing the same obstacles.

Hurdle Number One: I need to find a school that will take me to do the training for a year.

Hurdle Number Two: I need to then apply to the university. They get three applicants for each place on the course.

So I've made some enquiries to some schools. I emailed four asking to come in and volunteer, and have heard back a "no" from one. So next week I start telephoning. At the moment I'm working on trusting God with this and trying not to feel overwhelmed and terrified.

I had a fantastic day on Monday with a friend who came up for the day. We talked (almost non-stop) for the seven hours she was here, had a lovely lunch out and a very peaceful walk in the woods. She is getting married in a couple of months and I am so excited for her! I'm also a little excited for me - I get to take my camera to her wedding and take squillions of photographs. Everybody wins.

This week I have been creating, and it has made me very happy...
{Christmas Cards - not because I'm crazy and looking forward to Christmas already. Although I am. Just because I'm anticipating having less time as the weeks go by.}


{Anniversary Weekend Mini Book}


Photos

Photo 16:


Photo 17:


Photo 18:



This weekend
Fun with friends, a relaxed morning with my husband, food, sunshine (please?), photos, walks, church, lunch out with friends. Oh so many good things, which will start in about five minutes when T gets home from work. That's when my weekend really starts.

An Adventure!

We had a lovely weekend away in Sussex, a very perfect anniversary celebration! We got down there late on Friday night, after some slightly terrifying driving down narrow country lanes. We got there in time for dinner, which was amazing! I had fishcake, lamb and pannacotta - and T had risotto, duck and crumble. We could barely move by the end of the meal, so it was lovely only having to go upstairs afterwards.


On Saturday we walked along the river into Arundel, which has the prettiest fairytale castle ever. You can see it for miles off.


When we got there, we looked around some art and craft exhibitions and then looked around the castle gardens. It was so pretty - so I'm going to let the pictures show you...





{This one is my Day 12 photo}



The garden had these strange flower sculptures in one area...



We wandered around Arundel, looking in some antiques shops before we got to our favourite place - Crown Chocolates and Fudge. This tiny shop sold us two of the most delicious ice creams ever (lemon for me, maple walnut for T) and a big bag of fudge which we munched on as we walked back along the river.

We played croquet and other games back at the hotel before going to the "honesty bar" in the drawing room for beer and pimms. Our three course dinner was every bit as delicious as the night before - the steak I had was even better than Friday's lamb. I would go back just for the food.

We checked out on Sunday morning and then went for another walk along the river, and saw lots of wildlife. {This is Day 13's photo.}


As we were driving home we noticed a banner advertising...


a life sized lego house!

I'm making a mini book of the trip at the moment and I'm determined to finish it.

As for the photos from days 14 and 15 - I failed. I didn't take any on either day. I just didn't get around to it, I have no excuse. But I did get to spend Monday catching up with a friend from uni which was fantastic, and I went to a GTP meeting yesterday which is real, proper progress on the career front. But I didn't take any pictures. I will try to get back doing it.

Proverbs, Photos, Plans

Proverbs 4:20-23

My child, pay attention to what I say;
listen closely to my words.
Do not let them out of your sight,
keep them within your heart;
for they are life to those who find them
and health to a man's whole body.
Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life.

Photos

Day 8:


Day 9:


Day 10:


Day 11:


Plans

Weekend away. Romantic. A Georgian House. Him and me. A mini-book.

Weddings in the future. RSVP-ed this morning. Cards to be made.

Next week - visit from a friend. Besom. Teacher training course meeting. Other meetings.

Today's Treasures

We had a lovely weekend. We visited T's parents - I did lots of driving there and back - and then his Mum took me to a craft centre (where I bought creative treasures). Then we replanted the front door pot she gave us with new, beautiful plants - and hidden bulbs which will become beautiful plants in the spring.

On Sunday we came home, went to church and had lunch with some friends. Then in a fit of crazy industriousness we washed the car. We soon recovered though, and watched Lost and Casino Royale for the rest of the day.

Photos
Day 6:


Day 7:


Today I am
Reading: The Road Home by Rose Tremain
Cooking: Duck legs are roasting for dinner as I type.
Excited because: We decided on our Christmas plans. And we're going away this weekend. And I'm all fired up to try out my new craft treasures. Much excitement.

Paint and Pancakes

Day 4:


Day 5:

Noisy and Quiet

Today I am appreciating the contrasts in my life.

Yesterday, Besom was busy, noisy, full of energy, talking, vitality, demands, music, people, it had a schedule and a timeline.

Today I am at home. I am my own boss. I have a list of tasks. No one needs me to do them. I am free to do whatever takes my fancy - craft, cook, read, shop, eat, drink - whenever I want to. There is no one else here. It is peaceful.

My Autumn goals are going well. Here is photo number three from yesterday:


I left it until half an hour before bed to get round to this one. But I liked that I was pushed into being creative, rather than just waiting until it came.

My other projects are also progressing - but for now, my fun with paints:


Just to round off my day in the best possible way, T came home this evening with an anniversary present...


It prints gorgeous photos. And it's wireless. I'm a very happy lady this evening.

Hello Autumn

I love how bloggers celebrate the seasons. A lot of people have their gripes, problems and concerns but I have yet to see someone complaining on their blog about a season change. We all relish the change, of weather, wardrobe, nature, atmosphere. We all shared joy and photos at the first fresh buds in Spring, revelled in wearing our flip flops and going on holiday in the summer. And now so many people are celebrating Autumn.

Three reasons to love Autumn, just in case you're not quite feeling it yet.

1) Leaves and trees. Their colour. Red, orange, yellow, green, brown. Crunchy leaves underfoot. Going for walks and jumping in piles of heaped up leaves.

2) The clothes. I do love my flip flops. But think of the cold weather clothes too - scarves, warm hats that keep your hair in place, cute gloves. Thick jumpers that feel so soft. And slippers and boots.

3) Rain. Ok, you might not like this one. But it feels SO good to be inside on a rainy day in Autumn. You expect rain so when it does rain you don't feel cheated out of being outside in the sun. Rain brings freshness, puddles to jump in, rainbows, thunderstorms.


I have decided, as have many other people, to be inspired by this change in nature. I am setting myself some fun Autumn goals. I am counting Autumn as September 1st - November 30th.

1) Add all my favourite summer photos to the digital photo frame.

2) Take a photo every day of September and post it here. I'm not nearly disciplined enough to do Project365 but I might just manage a month.

3) Make something new in the bread maker machine.

4) Sew these pretty new buttons onto my winter coat.


5) Finish the wedding scrapbook. Start honeymoon ones or put the photos in an album at least.

6) Send surprise post to three people.

7) An arty project that I have in my head. It may fall at the first post when I remember that I am not good at painting. We'll see.

My hope is to jog my creativity a bit and see how things go.

Autumn is looking fun so far - a couple of weekends away are booked in and a wedding. Another weekend is in the planning, as are various dinners and visits to family. I will keep driving, and working on future career plans. Do you have any goals you're working on?

As for goal number 1 - here's yesterday's photo:


And here is today's (closely linked with goal number 7 - new paints!):

September - here comes Autumn!

September is here! I love Autumn. Blustery winds, crunchy leaves, snuggling in warm jumpers with hot chocolate. Mmm yummy.

But before I move totally on to autumn, summer deserves a goodbye wave. It has been a great one. June, July, August - you were awesome. I had a birthday, an anniversary, three trips to London, days at Besom, read eight books and went on two holidays. I've already shared Anglesey photos - now it's Cornwall's turn.

DAY 1

We arrived to find a gorgeous house - Mum had chosen well. Beautiful gardens, flowers in the living room...and thick fog.


DAY 2

Oh well, thick fog again - we took a drive around the local area. The highlight for me was Charlestown, a Georgian port town. Windy, rainy but somehow that made it even more dramatically beautiful.


DAY 3

Sunshine! T, my Dad and littlest sister went to play golf. Mum, middling sister and I visited a castle, had lunch in a cafe, looked around the local gift and craft shops...and went back to the cafe for cream teas.


DAY 4

Possibly my favourite day. This photo will give you an idea of the weather.


We climbed a big hill near the cottage. The views were stunning...


We flew our kite. The wind was so strong, it was amazing. But then it broke. But not before we had fun and I took photos!



DAY 5

It rained most of the day again but was still lovely. We visited a local craft centre with all sorts of art, pottery, jewellery and ornaments for sale. Although I coveted many things, they were quite pricey and so we didn't end up buying anything.

We went out for dinner to a restaurant in the port town we visited on Day 1. It was amazing. I indulged my love of seafood with scallop starter, lobster (with prawn and crab) main course and followed up with a hot chocolate and stolen spoonfuls of T's dessert. We could see the ocean from our table. Perfection!

DAY 6

We visited an old slate mine and adjoining gardens. My favourite bit was this gorgeous subterranean lake. It was so hard to get the camera to focus properly, with the extreme darkness - this is the best I managed but I was pretty happy with it. The lake is actually this colour, and its because it has high levels of micah in the water. (See, it was educational too!)



DAY 7

We visited the village of Lerryn. We saw art and craft exhibitions, walked across the river on stepping stones, and then walked up a big hill to find a geocache.



Once again, gorgeous views. It was wonderful, so many happy times with my family.

I also did a good proportion of the driving to and from Cornwall. I am pretty proud of that achievement.

Tonight: Making dinner for home group and ironing.

Tomorrow: Day off, possibly a small shopping trip and lunch with my husband. Creating, baking and a set of September goals to blog about.