Needle Felting

If I had managed to get a list of "to dos" done for June, needle felting would definitely have featured.The starter kit, I bought a couple of years ago has sat in the cupboard while I have admired and purchased other people's wonderful creations.

Finally, I got my act together, supplies gathered and O safely spending an afternoon with Grandma and Grandad ( those needles are sharp - ouch! ) tons of tips read on the net and an idea in my head, I began.

I soon found a rhythm and lost myself in this new crafting, enjoying the colours and textures.

A rabble of butterflies started emerging, funny that for such delicate creatures, a group of them is such a harsh term.

I wasn't impressed with my work at first, aren't we always our own worse critics ? but with some tweaks here and there, they are not so bad, definitely a craft to work on.

Piggie Love

This moment, a Friday tradition, a time to cherish, to remember, to honour its importance.To stop and give thanks, a time to feel blessed.

Inspired by SouleMama http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/

Strawberry Fields Forever

Pattern can be found here http://www.flickr.com/photos/pezdiva/133734949/

Post title inspired by my Beatle mad son, who officially finishes school on Friday, where did the time go ?

Happy Solstice.

Brightest Blessings to all.

Herbal Bouquet

This moment, a Friday tradition, a time to cherish, to remember, to honour its importance.To stop and give thanks, a time to feel blessed.

Inspired by SouleMama http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/

Greek Pie - The Recipe

Here it is my friends, enjoy x

Wash and cook 200g ( or more ) of spinach, until wilted.Cool in sieve, squeeze out water.Chop roughly.
In a bowl, add the spinach, 100g feta crumbled and 2 eggs.
Mix well.
You could also add to the filling mix - olives, roasted peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, cooked chicken, bacon etc.

Unroll around half a 250g pack of filo pastry, brush with alittle oil and then start to put the sheets into a loose bottomed dish, oil side down, drape the pastry so it overhangs the sides, moving around the dish with each sheet.After 3 or 4 sheets ( making sure bottom of dish is covered ) add your filling.
Bring the overhanging sides of pastry to the top, scrunch up, add some extra sheets scrunch up to cover the top.
Brush with oil.
Bake at 180c until golden.

Serve with a huge salad, cold glass of wine, good music and great company.

In the Garden

We have been enjoying every bit of weather gifted to us recently, from searing hot sun to long days of rain to thunder and lightening storms that have lasted hours, keeping everyone awake into the small hours.

I dared to dance a brief naked salute to the Goddess in one of these storms, hoping the darkening sky would hide me from my neighbours. I was repaid with a wonderful feeling of lightness, wellness and content.

The garden is booming from this warm rain, the broad beans, cabbage, lettuce, beans, courgettes, pumpkins and so many other goodies are growing before our eyes, snaking up sticks, spreading across the earth and looking so wonderfully healthy and happy.

O delights in the mud, building, creating and digging, lining toys up for mud moving duties that keep him busy for hours, days.He is covered at the end of these mammoth sessions, his hands thick with earth, his clothes barely visible beneath such a thick coating but his smile is huge, beaming through the muck, his eyes sparkle, his lessons from Mother Earth learnt.

Greek Pie - a new family favourite.

This moment, a Friday tradition, a time to cherish, to remember, to honour its importance.To stop and give thanks, a time to feel blessed.

Inspired by SouleMama http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/

Busy with Grandad

While his elder brother struggles on with GCSEs full of cold, fever and sore throat ... O enjoys his days in the garden, busy with Grandad, always a job to do and always to do together.

Funny seeing this picture, as O has now had his hair cut and looks a different boy.

Tick Tock, Tick Tock.

As I sat looking at these little feet dangling down, seeing how much they have grown, how much he has grown, how time is passing, feeling not alittle teary at the thought of my children getting older, bigger, wiser, the prospect of no more babies for us, the post arrived .... containing my eldest first National Insurance Card.
I gave into those tears.

Update - 6th June.

And then to add insult to injury,yesterday afternoon, O wee'ed for the first time on his potty !

Postcard Fun

We have really enjoyed taking part in the postcard swap organised by Zoe over at

http://www.playingbythebook.net/

We sent our 5 cards to USA, Canada, UK, Australia and Israel.

We received the cards above from UK, Canada, USA and Australia ( we have one card outstanding )

Lovely to connect with other families around the World, finding out about their lifes and sharing book recommendations.

This swap encouraged us to find out about Postcrossing
http://www.postcrossing.com/ and have already received cards from Russia and Austria.

Wash Wednesday - 2

I'm later than last year with my cloth bag wash and brush up

http://abigsmile4.blogspot.com/2009/04/loving.html

still better late than never, mainly the same bags with afew new additions including the cute "little bags of bags" somewhere to store all those other shoppers away when not in use, well thats the plan !

Inspired by Gardenmama http://gardenmama.typepad.com/my_weblog/ who has a fab giveaway going on .. go see x

Beach Babes

As we headed back to the car after an afternoon of miniature train rides, running in orchards and on sand, stories told in a barn, watching the sea, ice creams and fish and chips, we spotted these beach beauties, wonderful Mamas and their young.

Somehow, it made saying goodbye to good friends at the end of a lovely long weekend easier.