Virtually Coffee Tuesday - Beary Happy...

... First, I want to say a big thank you to those who left comments and sent emails re. my last post...
Thank you so much - all your words mean such a lot...

I am feeling much brighter this week...

E decorated the tree on Saturday, so the house feels cosy and festive :)

The kids' initials decorate the tree every year...

E made this little guy about 10 years ago - she loved her Hama beads!

... and she's never liked the angel topper I use, so this little chap has pride of place this year :)

I am in a very beary mood, since I was given this gorgeous young man the other day...

I think our relative meant for him to go to the kids... but they weren't interested...

His name is Henry, and he's settled right in...

... and today he got his very own bear...

He arrived this morning and is beautifully handknitted by the lovely Rowan at BearBovis... I think he'll help Henry feel right at home :)

As a child, I never had a bear...

I did receive a huge, orange Merrythought bear for my first birthday - I've seen pictures - but he stood over 3 feet high and growled, and I was terrified, so he was banished to the attic...

I retrieved him years later, thinking our kids may like him... but they were terrified too, so he went to the charity shop... :(

But now I have Henry, another Merrythought bear, but he's the perfect size (about 18 inches), the perfect colour (golden), the perfect weight (he's beautifully solid), and now at the ripe old age of ??, I have my very own bear - and I couldn't be happier :)

Do join us over at Amy's for more coffee chat...

Virtually Coffee Tuesday - In a reflective mood...

... for many reasons...

Nick and I went to the advent celtic service in the village church the other Sunday. It's always been my favourite service - candle-lit and laity-led. Before the stroke, I used to help lead services...

And on Sunday, I started reading this book

I hope to write more on my other blog following my responses to what I read, as I know I'm experiencing deep stirring changes, which I need more time to think about before I attempt to verbalize them...

But these words struck me from today's reading: 'God loves us as adult partners, with mutual give and take, and you eventually become the God that you love' (italics in original).

Needless to say, this provokes deep reactions in me as to what this could mean on so many levels - as a theology graduate, a former committed Anglican still angry with the church, as a soul seeking some understanding...

And I'm still pondering an item of news that has dominated UK papers - the apparent suicide  of Gary Speed, former footballer and national coach of Wales on Sunday - he was 42, married with two teenage sons, and had only been on the TV programme Football Focus on Saturday...

(photo copyright The Guardian)

I was listening to the radio, awaiting the commentary on a football match, on Sunday as the news broke... the shock and disbelief of the radio DJ and his guests were palpable...

What depths of despair the man must have been in...!! Apparently his wife found him hanged in their garage 7am Sunday morning... How could he have disguised his torment so well from colleagues and the public as he appeared on TV only hours before...? And the question that touches me most - how could the despair have been soooo deep as to leave his wife and children in this way...?

As a natural melancholic - it is my default position since childhood - I have experienced my own share of despair, and even seriously considered suicide after the death of Connie, our daughter who died in utero at 30 weeks in 1993. I had already lost two babies in the first trimester, and the grief was unbearable...

Yet, I did bear it with the love of my husband, my parents, my friends...

At the time, I had no desire to live, but I felt I couldn't inflict more pain and grief on them... and that glimmer of humanity/compassion/love kept me going...

So to think that this gifted, talented man was bereft of even that glimmer, is heart-breaking... and my thoughts are with those he left behind...

Linking up with Amy and others over at lucky number 13   - - - - - - - >

Virtually Coffee Tuesday - I'm still here...

 just...

it's been a tough few weeks healthwise...

finally, found i had an infected tooth which was removed last week...

still in discomfort, and finding it hard to eat, which is playing havoc with my diabetes *sigh*

so actually, virtual coffee chat is just perfect :)

and i wanted to wish you all a very happy thanksgiving *big hug*

it was always my favourite holiday when we lived in the US - all the love, and none of the hype and over-expectation of christmas (i've only whispered the 'c' word, so you don't get too stressed...)

and i have to say, i am thankful...

i have a beautiful family and wonderful friends.

i have warmth and shelter - it's turned a lot colder in the past week in the UK from the mildest november in 300 years!

i have access to dental and medical care.

we have food and drink in the pantry, and shops a short scooter ride away.

and i have a precious molly cat on my lap as i write, who has kept close by in the past week, as she knew i was struggling, proving love and understanding don't need words...

but here's one, anyway :)

PS almost forgot... make sure you google something today... what fun!!



Friday Fun: A Fantastic Fellow...

I felt I needed to post about this incredibly talented chap, Danny Mansmith, as I received a piece of his work yesterday...

This is the back of the envelope...

The front was more amazing, but I thought I'd better not reveal to address to the world...

Inside was another envelope (right), and an original sketch (left)

Inside this amazing envelope was the art book i bought...

Can you see the little guy peeping out??

And finally, here's Dan's handmade, unique business card - another work of art!

What a generous fellow he is :)

I confess, I want a dozen things from his amazing etsy shop - there's scarves, coats, collages, books, drawings - creativity just flows through his every pore!

And if you don't believe me, just google his images!!!! Talk about eye-candy! Your eyes will pop :)

Have a happy Friday - we're enjoying a heatwave in the UK at the moment - the glorious last hoorah of summer :)

Virtual Coffee Tuesday - Our gorgeous boy...

... turned 16 on Sunday... growing from this (age 2)

to this

Here's a better picture of him with his girlfriend, Anna

Having polished off the BBQ his dad prepared and cooked, we all settled down to watch this dvd

The language was a bit of a shock (!), but it was a very funny film, once you blocked out the puerile swearing...

(my brother, Jon, and my dh, Nick)

For some reason, I didn't got a pic of my dad or Esther...

After the movie, folk drifted off to do their own thing... and I had a nap and dreamed of here where I attended a Summer School to study Ancient Greek when I was 16... It was the first time I'd been away from home, and was where I realized I didn't have to settle and marry the boy from down the road (as my mother wanted)... and my escape route was to study hard, and eventually be the first person in our family to get a degree.

And it was when I was 16, I discovered Pink Floyd (whose music can collapse time for me like no other...) and this has the be the most appropriate track to share as I revisited my 16-year-old self on the day my boy turned 16...

Virtual Coffee Tuesday - Autumn Warmth...

Here's the view from my seat on the sofa...

Here's the flowers my dad brought me at the weekend...

And here's the stones I've 'collected' over the summer to help my morning meditations...

Upper left is from Elaine at RedorGrayArt and says, 'Be patient with yourself'.

Upper right is a beautifully painted stone from MonicaMarks.

Lower left is a hunk of chalcedony I've had for several years...

Lower right is a handmade mantra stone from Hank at In the Company of Saints. It bears the Greek word ἡσυχία which means 'stillness', and is the perfect shape to hold in my hand while gently rubbing the word to remind me to be still...

Hope you're embracing the change of season and keeping warm... enjoy sharing coffee over at Amy's...

Virtual Coffee Tuesday - Autumn Winds

The windy weather in the UK continues - though we're not as badly hit as the West and North...

My lack of energy - and words - continues, but I can still meet you for coffee... Join us at Amy's...

I'm just focusing on the small and precious moments...

Annie Lennox has the words - enjoy!