boggles!

 It's amazing the amount of fun, and happiness a pair of swimming goggles, (or 'boggles' as they are known in this house), can create!

Elsa loves George's boggles 

constantly posing in them, saying 'cheese!' 

life if so simple for her

finding fun and excitement in the most ordinary of objects

i thought this would stop after she was a baby

but life just continues to be amaze her

I never want this to stop! 

nature's creations

such intricate, fragile creations 

nature conjures this up over night

 reaching its crescendo as the clear sunlight spotlights this magnificent creation

sparkling, glistening, shining

shadows 

but the orchestrator also destroys 

the beautiful fragile lace covering my window

is gone     

 more stunning for its brief existence

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we spend hours, days, months trying to create something as beautiful

2012

Happy New Year! 

(Sorry a little late!) 

Apologies for neglecting you little blog, I will try and do better! 

2012 is going to be...... 

FUN!

Autumn

I know September has only just arrived, but I'm so happy, I love the Autumn!

For me nothing beats a crisp, sunny Autumn day, 

golden leaves crunch under foot, and swirl in the air,

apples ready for picking, waiting to be made into a crumble,

hydrangeas fading, becoming even more beautiful,

walks in the park wrapped up in many knitted layers 

the warm vibrant colours.

What do you love about Autumn?

summer holidays

First a huge apology for the lack of posts, and also any development of art work!  

Due to recent events (see previous post), it being the school holidays, rubbish weather, and little Elsa also finding her little walking feet, I haven't had a minute to do anything, other than look after them and the house!  (and not sure how well I have stayed on top of that!)  So as soon as George starts school (still can't believe he is going to be starting school in a couple of weeks!) I will be getting myself organised on the HUGE list of blog posts I want to do, and my artwork, which is developing no end, in my head, and in my sketchbook!  I did manage a tentative start, however I have not had the time to go back to it since!  So in some ways I am dreading my little boy starting school, in other ways I can't wait to be able to get on with my enormous to do list!  

We have got an exciting weekend planned, with a bullet point itinerary, dress codes for each activity, no children and therefore SLEEP!  Will report back next week :)  

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Events over the past week have thrown me quite a bit.  

On Friday a lovely elderly lady who lived at the bottom of my road was brutally murdered, on her doorstep, for what looks like her hand bag.  I have been pretty shaken by this.  I didn't know her name before this and she didn't know mine, she was one of those people I recognised to say hello to and have a little bit of a chat about the weather, her dog, or she would laugh and smile at something George was doing. 

I can not even begin to understand someone who would do this, and it scares me that there are people like that, in the world.  You hear about things like this, and worse, happening on the news and of course it is sad but because this was someone I knew, happening somewhere I walk every day, it has really slapped me in the face.  

She didn't deserve this, NO ONE would deserve this.

I walked down the hill yesterday evening, the same way I do every day, usually with George running ahead and Elsa singing in the pushchair.  But it was different.  It was quiet.  I turned the corner, not to see the group of elderly ladies sat on their front garden walls passing the time of day, but to see police tape, policemen standing guard and white forensic tents.  

I laid down my flowers on the corner of the wall, and it hit me and I started to quietly cry.

I can not even start to imagine what her family must be going through at the moment.

It is just so cruel, unfair, unthinkable.

I have a wonderful family that I love beyond words.  

Things like this happening really remind you of what you have and to cherish it.  

These words are what I need to grab hold of and move forward.

Kielder (part 2)

So following on from my last post, we headed to Kielder in the car.  We timed it quite well as the heavens opened as we drove, following the waters edge.

Luckily when we parked at Kielder, the rain stopped.  However we then discovered that the little clip that  secures Elsa in the carrier had gone missing.  Given that she was trying to climb out of it even with it on there was no way we could risk using it without her secured in!!  So it was time to test her newly walking little legs! ...and it was quite a test!

First of all we made our way to Kielder Castle.

After our two tour guides checked the route!

We headed past the castle and down a path to the side, through the trees we found the Minotour Maze, by Nick Coombe and Shona Kitchen 2003.

This fantastic maze is made of gabions full of local stone.  You can see the centre, made up of contrasting recycled glass, poking over the top.  I can imagine, on a day where you can actually see the sun, this would be stunning, glistening, next to the grey stone.

Elsa loved toddling round!

George was so pleased with himself when he found the middle!  So pleased he had to do it again, and again, and again......

I found the contrast between the hard industrial gabions and the soft dry stone walls covered in moss and ferns beautiful.

We then made our way back to the castle and sat in the drizzle eating ice creams!

We had a wonderful day, despite the weather, and will definitely be heading back to see what else we can discover.  

Here is a link to see all the current art works at Kielder Water.