Writing Me - I am...

I've decided to do this fun project with the others over at Bigger Picture Blogs.

I simply respond to - no prior writing/thinking about - these statements

Let's see what emerges... right here, right now, in real time....

I am a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend...
I wonder how everyone survives each day...
I hear birdsong...
I see pictures, light, the space between...
I want to be a good wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend...
I am a soul in human form.

I pretend to be happier than I am...
I feel heavy, yet light, burdened, yet carefree...
I touch plastic keys while reaching for truth...
I worry too much, but there's A LOT to worry about...
I cry easily - at poetry, at beauty, at the daily news, even at commercials...
I am a tender soul feeling through each day.

I understand pain and heartache, and the need for peace...
I say too much on the surface and not enough of deeper things...
I dream of souls touching souls...
I try to find the words, and usually fail...
I hope to learn to be more open and honest, and to trust myself...
I am a traveller.

Virtual Coffee Tuesday - A Happy Week :)

Hello again!
Where do the days go??
How have you been? Have you had a good week? A tough week?

As you can tell by the post title, I've had a fun, happy week - generally...

Here's my two favourite girls enjoying an evening in front of the TV :)

It's not a great shot - our camera's not the best with low light - but I think you can pick up the relaxed, loving vibe going on... :)

Last Wednesday, I spent the afternoon and evening with a dear friend over from Wales...
We had a wonderful time catching up on books - she's a librarian - TV shows, films, chit-chat...
She brought me these beauties...

The lilies have opened up in the past few days, and are filling the room with their heady perfume *sigh*
And I did some research on Google to find the name of the blue flowers... they are Purple Lisianthus, and they have the softest petals ever... like velvet... *double sigh*

Flowers and friends... precious moments to enjoy again and again, even when they've gone back to deepest, darkest Wales... :)

On Sunday, my part of the world stopped for football... Liverpool in their first cup final since 2006, their first visit ever to the new Wembley... and 4 hours coverage on the BBC :)

Nick took this pic of me and Henry before the match started...

... Liverpool scarf on, snacks prepared, optimism high...

Thankfully, Liverpool did win, but it was one heck of a match, finally decided on penalties, after a 2-2 score after extra time!!

And the story of the day - Steven Gerrard (captain of Liverpool) consoling his cousin Anthony Gerrard who missed his penalty kick, which cost Cardiff City the cup... poor kid :(

Then yesterday, my new magazine arrived...

I've not renewed my other magazine subscriptions this year :(

But this one was a bargain (subbed by the BBC)...

I'm embracing the fact I'm in my 49th year... and while I haven't yet succumbed to watching the Antiques Roadshow on Sunday evenings, this is actually a very interesting read...

With an article on 'Empire Marketing Board posters'... I love this one by FC Harrison...

... and one on 'Chocolate Collectables'...

I never knew the first chocolate shop opened in London in 1657... or that chocolate houses sprang up to compete with coffee houses to be the meeting places of the gentry in the 17th-18th centuries... or that Fry's made the first solid bar of chocolate in 1847 and the first British chocolate Easter egg in 1873...

186 pages packed full of scrummy photos and interesting articles - I just know I'm going to really enjoy 12 months of this magazine :)

So, that's all my fun news of the week...

The only downer was my physio appointment on Friday...

My hand is just too tight to even try the saeboflex at the moment *sigh*, so my only hope is to get more botox (hopefully in March), and try yet again... *ho hum*

But what about you?

Can I fill up your coffee mug or tea cup before I settle down to hear your stories of the week...??

Virtual Coffee - Happy Shrove Tuesday!

I don't know why, but I've always loved Shrove Tuesday...

Maybe because pancakes were such a treat growing up! My mother always cooked full 'meat and two veg' meals - very good for us, but rather worthy :)

The above picture is from Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course, as is this fool-proof recipe....

Delia's simple, clear instructions got me through college - sadly, I didn't get my mother's cooking gene :( - and my hardback copy died about a decade ago... this is a well-tabbed paperback version :)

How do you like your pancakes?
I'm a simple soul - sprinkling of sugar (fake diabetic variety!), with a squeeze of orange juice :)

My daughter - who did get the baking gene - usually makes herself Scotch pancakes, rather than the crepe variety...

So, of course, Lent begins tomorrow...

I'm not a great give-something-up-for-Lent person, but I will read this every day throughout the 6 weeks...

... and make time each morning to ponder Richard's wise words...

Now, to other news and chit-chat... by the way, does your coffee need a top up? Another biscuit?...

... I had a very exciting parcel arrive last week...

It was from artist Kate Boyce, in Hebden Bridge, and I was one of the VERY lucky ones to win in her giveaway!! And this is what I won...

It's one of Kate's stunning lampshades from her etsy shop House of Chintz. This one's called 'Buddleia of Suburbia' - the photo certainly doesn't do it justice!!

Also, this week this Amazon purchase arrived...

It's a children's paperback of the Greek myths as retold by Ann Turnbull, but I bought it for Sarah Young's stunning illustrations...

Again, my photos don't do them justice, especially with all the glare!! But can you work out the stories??
*Answers at the bottom of the post :)

I discovered Sarah's work through her etsy shop, and while I cannot afford her proper prints, I can enjoy her work in this book :)

And I adore the Greek myths - I had a Ladybird version growing up, and it was one of my must-read bed-time books, and Jason and the Argonauts was an absolute favourite film!!

And I cannot end the week's news without mentioning the 6-1 win over Brighton on Sunday :) Sadly it wasn't one of the matches shown on TV and enjoyed with my Dad, who came over for the weekend, but I've enjoyed the highlights!!

Almost forgot...

Here's my Inspiration Avenue Challenge entry I made yesterday... and you can read about it here...

Phew!! This has turned into quite a post!!

Thank you for stopping by and letting me spout away :)

I'm now popping over to Amy's to catch up on the others' news of the past week...

Hope to see you next Tuesday :)
xxx






*Theseus and the Minotaur, Pegasus the winged horse, and King Midas :)

IA Challenge - Texture

I confess I just couldn't get excited about last week's 'Diva' challenge, but I had no problems with this week's :)

I adore texture in clothes - slub, rather than smooth, silk; around the house - cord cushions on our leather sofa; and of course, in artworks!

Here's the journal page I did today...

I added found elements to a previously painted page...

a piece of painted sacking, topped with a piece of painted paper
cardboard letters
a piece of painted corrogated cardboard, topped with heavily painted, and scored, card, topped with a ceramic heart button

Trouble is, of course, digitally you cannot see the depths of the different textured elements :(
But hopefully, you can get the idea...

Can't wait to see what the others come up with...

But I'll drop by The Inspiration Avenue on Sunday to see... :)

A Thoughtful Thursday...

I have actually posted - for the first time in almost a year! - over on my other blog The Leave-Taking...

I am, indeed, having a deeply thought-filled Thursday, even as life goes on around me - the kids are home for half-term...

I am finding a quiet centre amid the noise and bustle...

Wishing you the same...

xx

Virtual Coffee - A very busy week last week...

... so I'm hoping this week will be slower and gentler... *sigh*

And I'm looking forward to a lazy chat over coffee...

I'm being VERY indulgent today - a large homemade cappuccino and an iced bun (this is for a dear Yorkshire friend, who despairs that Brits now call them 'cupcakes'!! She's on a one-woman mission to reverse the Americanization of Britain...)

Anyway, news...

Well, we have survived the cold spell that gripped the East Coast, and have gone from this on Friday/Saturday

to this

Crazy weather!!

Thankfully, before the weather turned bad last week, I was able to meet friends here for a girlie lunch

(Images here and below from their website)

The White Swan at Blyth, just 30 minutes up the A1, and what a lunch we had!! The food is deliciously favourful, and beautifully presented - my kind of food :)

*sigh*

We all had three courses(!), and took our time, chatting and laughing and catching up - THE best kind of therapy!
My body may be struggling with the cold weather and lack of physiotherapy this past week, but my soul is good :)

Speaking of which, I entered the IA Challenge again this week. My entry is not high art, by any means, but it IS meaningful...

You can read my explanation of what it means here

Nurturing ourselves with friendship and sharing our stories, is surely what Valentine's Day is really all about - rather than the commercialized, lovey-dovey drivel we see around us in the shops???

Spending time with people you care about - whether they be family or friends (virtual or real) - sharing stories of fun or heartache, is love in action. Love as a verb, rather than a noun, that's what I want to celebrate every day regardless of the date :)

Looking forward to catching up over coffee at Amy's...

With my love xxx

IA Challenge - Here Comes the Sun...

I so wanted to participate in this week's Inspiration Avenue challenge, not least as we're in deep snow and there isn't much sun to be seen on the East Coast of England right now...

So I got up early, and spent some time with this book, hoping inspiration would strike...

... and this is what appeared...

It's not exactly, 'here comes the sun', but bear with me as I explain...

In the Peaceful Pause at the end of chapter 1 of Your Truest Self, Jan Lundy guides you through a meditation to welcome the Divine One in... the 'sun', if you like...

Experience your in-breath and your out-breath moving slowly, like a sweet vapor drifting through the sacred space. Blessing it. Sanctifying it. Making it holy ground for the Divine One to be housed within you...

And as I did the meditation, a really pictured this light growing in my solar plexus, it was turning and and glowing, radiating warmth and light...

The solar plexus chakra is often seen as yellow, like the sun... it's your centre, midway between your heart and your navel, your core...

On a physical level, for me, this is my weakest point after the stroke... my physiotherapist has been working for months to improve it, and my core stability... it's why I struggle to stand straight and to balance...

But, this morning, as I meditated and drew and painted, this is where I saw the sun move in... where I sensed the Divine taking up residence... where I know warmth, and light, and ultimately strength, do dwell in me, on the coldest and darkest of days...

I have made a temple, at my centre, and the sun has come... Amen...






...

Groundhog Day - The worst sight...

Woke up to this...

And to make matters worse - the sun  keeps shining in bursts!!

This means that when Mr Groundhog appears from his burrow, and sees his shadow - not to mention the snow!! - he'll go right back in, and winter will hang around ANOTHER 6 WEEKS!!!

And we Brits can't just dismiss this quirky North American holiday, for according to Wikipedia, its roots are British...

As the light grows longer
The cold grows stronger
If Candlemas be fair and bright
Winter will have another flight
If Candlemas be cloud and rain
Winter will be gone and not come again
A farmer should on Candlemas day
Have half his corn and half his hay
On Candlemas day if thorns hang a drop
You can be sure of a good pea crop.

Typical!! We've had grey and wet for weeks, and suddenly, it's cold and bright...

Think I'll just go back to bed - till March!!!