Finding joy in the everyday

For the last 2 weeks I have been home on holidays with my DH and this is what I have been up to. Birthday gift for my friend Kathy - as part of my handmade gift giving this year I made Kathy a lavender bag (as part of my beginner sewing lesson) and a paper tole picture which she can hang on the wall or display on a shelf. This is a card and gift I had for my mum for Mothers Day.  I card the I made a while ago using paper tole - my mum has the habit of reusing cards I make to give to special people, so I can imagine down the track someone else is likely to enjoy this little girl!!  I often send her flowers, which, as you know die, so this year I made her a flower picture. I would really like to write a bible text at the bottom, but my hand writing isn't neat enough, so I might need to use the computer. Also part of my beginner sewing lesson I made two heat packs - the green one is my sons and the butterflies I gave to his girlfriend Millie.  They both loved them.  Millie's mum w

I would like to make a confession (ssshhh don't tell anyone!) . . .  there is two things I particularly enjoy . . . romance novels and a good wedding. OK, if there had been an English literature class at high school on romance novels I would have got an A+ as I read MANY romance novels in my younger days. . . . very guilty. . . . . still do occasional today. To my second pleasure . . . a good wedding . . . today is the day that Prince William and Katherine will be getting married and I, along with million of others, will watch.   As a teenager, my mum and I went to our neighbours to watch Prince Charles and Diana (not that I had a clue it wouldn't work out) get married and I just LOVED it - I am a romantic at heart and being a "girly" girl, I just love looking at the bridal dress, the jewellery and dreaming!!!! In more recent times I watched Prince Fredrick of Denmark marry our very own Mary, Prince Andrew marry Sarah etc etc...... So if I was getting married toda

So many of the artists I have covered are European or American and I thought it was time that I spend some time looking at artists in other countries, less well known countries. Today's artist is an Israeli who currently lives in Tel Avivi after living abroad for a number of years. Artist: Yoav Shualy Born: Israel Landscape painter, contemporary Just looking at these paintings, it is easy to tell Shualy has been trained in Europe, the style is very similar to many of the old landscape masters. In 1964 he moved to London to study art after winning an award. During that time he exhibited his paintings in several art galleries in London and Wales, where he lived for several months. During 1974-1975, he studied art in Vienna, Austria, where he learned the technique of the Vienna School of Art. This method was used by great artists in the likes of Prof. Ernst Fuchs. E. Brauer, Prof. R. Housner and others.  Shualy returned to Israel in 1975, where he currently lives, works,

Coast : This is a brilliant series from the BBC (Open University, UK) — each 1 hour episode explores a small part of the UK coastline and examine the geography, the history, the marine life and the archaeology — it is just amazing and I have learnt so many things I didn’t know. It picks up interesting facts about the coastline, from villages that have been washed away in storms, ship wrecks and lighthouses, tidal changes and the long term effects on the coast etc..  The camera work is excellent and the music is beautiful.  As you can guess, I love this series.  Suitable for teenagers.  There are 5 seasons of Coast, other seasons look at French coasts, Norway and the many islands around Great Britain. I would give these series 5 stars.  ( Amazon link ) Beneath Hill 60 is an Australian-made movie telling the gripping story of Oliver Woodward, a miner from Queensland who, with other miners ( 1st Australian tunnelers) , tunneled under German lines in 1916 (in horrid muddy

The other day I wrote a blog about the amount of time parents spent with their children - today I have some more of those interesting statistics from the same survey, this time on work at home. Most unpaid work is housework, which includes cooking, cleaning, gardening and home maintenance. On average people spend 2 hours and 8 mins doing housework each day. Mexicans do the most, at more than 3 hours per day, and Koreans the least, at 1.4 hour per day. Much of this time is spent cooking. Australians spend just over 2 hours per day (Americans spend 102 mins per day). This is more time per day than we spend directly caring for our children. Americans spend the least time cooking each day (30 minutes) and Turks the most in the OECD (74 minutes). Australian’s spent 49 minutes cooking per day. Most people spend around 50 minutes a day cooking. In the countries interviewed – 82% of women prepare the meals on an average day. Shopping also makes up a big part of unpaid work. Most people i

View of the stables (front) We stayed in the cutest little "cottage" on our 3 night romantic get-away.  It took me back in time and as you look at the photos you will see why.  This was unlike any place I have ever stayed in before. The "cottage" was once a stable and was located on a much larger estate (Southdown) built in 1857 (when the South Highlands was opened up for cattle and sheep farming). Unfortunately over the time the estate has shrunk from 335 acres of farming land down to only 6 acres of gardens (which I will share you on another occasion). There are 3 cottages to rent on the property and the owners live in the original homestead.  Due to the size of the gardens, each cottage is tucked in between the trees and hedges creating complete privacy.  Five friendly hens were the only living things to disturb us and they only wanted to say hi and get on with eating!!   Front entrance, a nice little place to sit in the sun - a Glory Vine (in all its red g

We are back from our short get-away. Had a VERY relaxing time. If I was Ruby, this is how I would feel!! Will share with you some photos soon. Will catch up on my blog reading this evening. See you all soon. ~ HUGS ~ P.S. Ruby occasionally falls off the couch when she is sleeping like this. But after a few tumbles she has learnt to hold herself steady with a claw or two. ~oOo~

DH and I are off on a romantic holiday. I will be back in a few days to share my photos and stories. Off to enjoy the rolling green hills of the South Highlands + the antique shops second hand book stores little coffee shops gourmet shops that sell fancy jams and chutneys craft stores parks and gardens!! See you all soon  . . .  hugs all round. ~oOo~

I read an interesting blog the other day and it got me thinking . . . mostly due to the comments that were received (including those on Facebook). June from " A Wise Woman Builds her Home " blog wrote about a news article where a mother of a young boy put pink nail polish on his toes. Junes question was "what did her readers think of this?". Not surprisingly, almost all said NO, many found this very disturbing, sad and angry at the mother. Reasons given included: causing confusion to the boy, the feminization of boys, leading homosexuality, blurring genders etc.. I thought about this all day and these are my views. I would be interested in yours. When my sons were little (aged around 2-5), they asked from time to time if they could wear my nail polish . . . I saw nothing wrong in putting it on their nails. It wasn't any different to when they tried on my high heeled shoes, carried my handbags around or wore my necklaces during dress-ups (as in the photo

A soft answer turneth away wrath:   but grievous words stir up anger.   Proverbs 15:1 Lord, set a guard upon my lips,  My tongue control today; Help me evaluate each thought And watch each word I way.  Wherefore, my beloved brethren,   let every man be swift to hear , slow to speak slow to wrath For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.  James 1:19-20 This can be very hard at times, but practice does make it much easier over time I have found. This world would be a far better place if everyone practiced these two verses on each other. No more politicians being rude to each other, not more squabbling parents, no more bullying at school, no more fighting in the office, no more war.  For one evening a year people are asked to turn off their power to save the planet.  Wouldn't it be wonderful if, for just one day, people were nice to each other. . .  is that asking too much? ~oOo~