Monday, December 31, 2007

Happy New Year

As this year draws to a close and a bright new year, full of hope, possibilities and excitement approaches, many of us like to take time to reflect, take stock, review and make changes in our lives. Hopes and dreams may be voiced, resolutions made and future paths laid before us.
My year has been full to the brim but at the same time very rewarding. There has been great sadness and many tears but also so much laughter, fun, creativity and good times spent with family and friends.

The future is always uncertain, we do not know what lies ahead, we can make plans, work towards our dreams and make choices. I plan to live well, for myself and my family. I want to listen and observe the subtleties of nature, the wonder of life and feel grateful. I shall savour every moment of this precious precious life in the year ahead.


This year i have so enjoyed becoming involved in the blogging community. I am blown away by everyones creativity and passion, whether it be cooking or crafting something, gardening, sharing stories or just making us laugh. I feel enriched by reading about your lives, loves and celebrations. I have learned so much from so many warm and brilliant people. 2008 brings many personal changes, some exciting, some scary.. i am going to face these changes head on. (even the turning 40, which i plan to celebrate for the whole year).


Wishing you all a very very Happy New Year.


Thank you for all your friendship this year, enjoy your celebrations and see you in 2008.
g x


Thursday, December 20, 2007

That festive feeling...

Things have finally slowed down folkydokee wise..... the last orders have been sent and the book text finally finished. Now is the time for my own family Christmas preparations....




These beautiful glass vintage baubles were a charity shop find about 10 years ago... Each year as the Christmas box is brought down from the loft i anticipate their beauty and am never disappointed. Our other decorations are a collection built up since the girls were born. Each year they both choose a new tree ornament. Their Advent calender also over the past 6 years has included some tree decorations. The tree is now looking quite full!




I love colourful Christmas Trees and this year the girls took charge in decorating ours.
We went to a local farm to choose our tree, last Sunday. It was charming and there were a few animals to see including reindeer. We spent ages (as always), looking at each one and then returned to the one my lovely man had picked out in the first place!




When we got home we got out the lights and after securing it in the stand and pruning out a few branches the tree came inside, then to be twisted round and round by 'daddy' (about 4 times.. with him lying on the ground underneath) before us 3 girls had decided on the right angle... well he did ask us!
The coloured lights no longer all worked so we decided on the white lights.. they looked lovely all alight. My eldest and i both decided that a funny bit of tree sticking out would have to be pruned off. Well off i went for the garden secateurs... well you can guess can't you.. For a person who is so safety conscious to the extent of being annoying, i couldn't believe what i did next...... pruned off the offending sticky out branch and cut through the cable of the lights! The cable was green and i just didn't think...so very scarily easy to do. Luckily this was an indoor/outdoor set so went through a transformer so the voltage was small. If it had been a basic straight into 240 volts type string of lights then it would have been a very different story.
Consequently we couldn't decorate the tree as planned on Sunday evening.... as in my husband's words.. 'mummy's killed Christmas '.
To make matters worse in all this excitement i put my back out and have been unable to do very much these past few days, although it is improving and today i feel much better... so tidying the house can't be put off any longer!




After a new string of lights was purchased (with a silver cable) the girls decorated the tree on Tuesday evening. Here is the result...



All we need to do now is put the angel on top and then finish decorating the rest of the house.

The wreath for our front door is the next job using my twiggy circle.. made from wisteria prunings about 4 years ago.. it feels great to recycle it each year.




I like a simple natural wreath and usually use my sweet myrtle which is covered with dark glossy berries at the moment.



I dried some oranges the other evening and will perhaps include them too...



Solstice and Christmas wishes to you all. Have a wonderful holiday week with light, warmth and peace.
g
x