Finding joy in the everyday

Source Childhood friends are very important.  I am not referring to long distances friends (such as pen-pals) that one hardly ever meets, but real face to face friends that children can play with, dream up games with, share secrets, enjoy sleepovers with and support each other when feeling sad and share the joys of life.  We ALL need friends to confide in.   And to learn about friendship and why it is important, children need to have friends of their own from a early age (and I am not referring to siblings).  My dad and I were talking about the importances of friends and my dad made a comment that he never had any childhood friends and it still made him sad even at the age of 80. He wishes he had friends and says that the lack of friends as a child made making friends as an adult much more difficult. It also meant that he went through his growing up years and adulthood (including loosing his mother) without someone to share that journey with and we all need this,

Here are the last of my holiday photos which I hope you have enjoyed.   I love the meekacats — but they bite and not good as pets!!  The giraffes gave us lots of joy and on the second day, Miss Five and I got to feed them which was lots of fun.  The best way to carry a friend!! We had to keep a watchful eye on Woofie incase he accidentally fell out :) Sometimes a dead tree is far more exciting that zoo animals!! Shhh, I'm sleeping. Miss Five giving me a big grin. The children learnt so much on this trip — and had a great time doing it!!  This bird was particularly interested in his/her own reflection! The park where we stayed, very pleasant. What a handsome bird Looking through the ferns at the afternoon light. Miss Five and I thought it was rather nice.  ******

Count all your blessings, each and every blessed one add them all together and be grateful for the sum. House to clean, floors to wash = a place to live Laundry to wash, pile of ironing = clothes to wear Dirty dishes = food to eat Books around the house = have the ability to read Shopping to do = money to use Toilets to clean = indoor plumbing Lots of laughter = happy healthy children Endless questions = children wanting to learn A bed to make = a cosy place to rest at night Crumbs under the table = family meals Power bills = electricity to the home Cold water and fresh food = refrigerator  Pay taxes =  have a job A lawn that needs mowing =  have a garden to grow things in Complaining about government = a free country that allows freedom of speech Medicine in the cupboard = access to doctors, chemists when sick Talk about God with others = freedom of religion Going to bed tired = I am alive

Art Friday: Marianne Preindlsberger Stokes (1855 - 1927) Austrian born I think you will find this artist interesting with her two very distinct painting styles.  Marianne's Pre-Rapharlite period *****

THE WINNERS OF THE ANIMAL BLANKIE GIVE-AWAY ARE Katy from " The Country Blossom " and Kgate And to make it even more exciting, Katy wanted Harriet the Happy Hippo and Kgate wanted Daisy Dog!! Couldn't have worked out better.  CONGRAULATIONS Thankyou so much for entering, I do hope your new friend brings many hours of enjoyment! Thankyou so much for participating in this giveaway and for taking the time to visit Bet's boutique. I might run another giveaway a little closer to Christmas.  *****

Gorgeous Ruby!!!  I took this idea from my friend Mary's blog " The Cotton Apron " as I thought it would be fun to do, thankyou Mary for such a fun idea!! Here are 30 questions/answers that tells you just a little more about me.  Why not answer one of the questions yourself — select on and answer it in the comments! *********** 1. WHAT’S UNDER YOUR BED? Cat beds for Charlie and Ruby, box of winter scarves, my husbands running shoes, small suitcase and some dust! Charlie loves her bed under our bed, its like a very cosy cave hidden away from everyone where she feels very safe.  Both cats hid under the bed when strangers come into the house.  2. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING NOW? "All the light we cannot see" by Anthony Doerr (excellent novel about a blind French girl during WW2) and "Let God be God" by Ray C. Stedman (the study of Job which I am reading slowly, a book I would highly recommend) + some books on appliqué and fre

Did you know that a third of the world’s population do not have access to a toilet.  According the the World Health Organisation “ Those who make do without toilets continue to pollute water sources and jeopardise public health and safety for millions worldwide, contributing to malnutrition and childhood stunting, impairing 161 million children both physically and mentally every year. ” Since 1990, 2.1 billion people have gained access to better sanitation facilities, however another 2.4 billion people have seen no improvements, including 946 million people still relieving themselves outdoors – the vast majority among the rural poor. Diarrhoeal diseases kill 700,000 children every year, most of which could have been prevented with better sanitation. Along with the lack of toilets, 1 in 9 people around the world do not have access to safe drinking water. Without toilets and safe water—children die from preventable diseases. India, for example, still n

Art Friday: Berni Parker Something fun and whimsical today. 

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According to David Alton (campaigner on religious freedom), “some assessments claim that as many as 200 million Christians in over 60 countries around the world face some degree of restriction, discrimination or outright persecution”. That is about one in 10 of the 2.2 billion Christians in the world. “Whatever the real figures the scale is enormous. From Syria, Iraq, Iran and Egypt to North Korea, China, Vietnam and Laos, from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to Indonesia, Malaysia, Burma, from Cuba, Colombia and Mexico to Eritrea, Nigeria and Sudan, Christians face serious violations of religious freedom,” Alton said. Persecution ranged from murder, rape and torture to repressive laws, discrimination and social exclusion. Christians face harassment in 102 countries – more than any other religion. The 2014 report on religious freedom in the world by ACN said conditions had deteriorated in 55 countries, and significantly so in six countries: Iraq, Libya,