So long, farewell...

Well, the time has come to say Goodbye to this blog home...

I've been living here since 30 July 2010, and it's been a lovely place to dwell :-)

But now, all my 'stuff' is gathered over here at

... so I do hope you'll come by and visit! 

You're always most welcome :-)

Here's to 2014 and all it may hold - new homes, new friends, new adventures...

HAPPY NEW YEAR

xoxoxoxoxox

Focus on Life - Week 52

The last post for 2013 - gulp!

Sally's prompt is Saying Goodbye...

But, I'm not good at goodbyes, so I signed up for next year as soon as I got Sally's email *grin*

So, I hope to see some of us together again in the super-duper new Focus on Life 2014! 
And those who are leaving, I shall miss you, and I hope I'll bump into you in Blogland from time to time :-)

Blessing upon blessing xx

Focus on Life - Week 51

It's the penultimate week! It's too, too sad :-(

This week's prompt is Togetherness, and I've decided to cheat *gasp* and share a photo from a couple of years ago on my Dad's 70th birthday.

It's my absolute favourite of him and the kids...

... no editing, no playing about, just a gorgeous photo of three beautifully precious people sharing a special moment in time together :-)

Focus on Life - Week 50

Only 2 more weeks to go... *sob* What fun we've had! 

I know, for a fact, my photo skills have come on leaps and bounds doing this every week! 
Thank you so much, Sally, you are truly the Hostest with the Mostest :)

This week's prompt is A Pop of Red, as Sally encourages us to 'focus on your surroundings and keep an eye out for pops of red'!

So I give you two shots - one outdoors, and one indoors...

A neighbour's berry-laden hedge - it won't be in a few weeks, the birds adore it!
I haven't edited the photo at all, just 'framed' it...

And our beloved, all-black (except for a few white chest hairs!) Molly-cat wearing her red ID tag

I still have no idea exactly how I created this b+w with a pop of red - I was just playing around in Picasa - but it's exactly the effect I wanted to achieve :-)

Can't wait to see what red pops you've captured this week!

Focus on Life - Week 49

Oh my, not many weeks left now... too, too sad :(

So I'm glad Sally's given us such a fun prompt this week Add a Little Sparkle!

Now, I'm not a sparkly girl - not really into glitter and sequins - much prefer au naturale...

But this is the  festive season, so tinsel and sparkle abound...

I'm sure we'll see lots of Christmas tree photos this week - lights, tinsel, and a Hama bead snowman E made over 10 years feature in mine :)

Enjoy!!

Focus on Life - Week 48

No surprises with the week's prompt Giving Thanks...

Although I'm a Brit living in the UK, I am married to an American, and the 4th Thursday in November is marked on our calendar as clearly as any American family's :-)

I know Sally suggested a collage, but I'm afraid I'm too exhausted from a week of hospital appointments, so I just took this...

I've always kept a gratitude journal (except for when I couldn't read/write after the stroke), and when I started using an A4 Filofax a few months ago to collate all my scribblings in one place, I had to make a section for Gratitude!

Every day I write 5 things for which I'm grateful - some days I struggle to write two, and others I could write 12 - such is life!

But here's my bumper list for Thanksgiving Day itself:

1. A good night's sleep
2. N's amazing meal
3. E's homemade brownies - YUM!
4. A warm, cosy home to share with others
5. Dinnertime conversation
6. Being mama to 2 amazing young people
7. Meeting new people (N invited a friend & his partner to dinner - I hadn't met them before)
8. Catching up on the blog course
9. Having internet connection for most of the day (it's been very erratic this week)
10. This special day :-)

Focus on Life - Week 47

I've been back and forth about what to post for this week's prompt Centrepiece - 'the central, most important feature of your day, week, life!', as Sally put it.

Trouble is, the answer is different to each part of the prompt...

The 'centrepiece' of my day, the foundation, is quiet time, prayer and Morning Pages - my day unravels if it doesn't start with them.

The 'centrepiece' of my life is my family - who, what would I be without them?

But the 'centrepiece' of this past week has been my new blog Another Deep Day

For the past 3 weeks I've been doing this course with Susannah Conway

and have been so inspired and motivated (getting up at 3.30am some mornings this week!), I've decided to pool all my favourite writing, photos, etc. in one place and wind down this, and my other, blogs.

I will keep posting the FoL posts here - just to keep them altogether. But if you do have a chance to visit the new blog, I would love to see you there - the kettle's always on :)

PS Last week's prompt asked us to Reflect, and one thing I didn't say - I have so enjoyed sharing this year with you, and I hope we won't all lose touch...
One way would be to follow each other's blogs. I know I'm not great at it (I tend to get overwhelmed by emails, and I really don't want to join google+), but I think I will join/follow many of you before the end of the year :)
Anyway, 'tis just a thought...