My very first Blog award!

Well, my friend Karen at http://makeitsaveitmendit.wordpress.com/ has awarded me my very first Blog award.  A Versatile Blogger Award. Whoooho!  Thanks Karen!

So my exciting task, as I understand it,  is to pass this one on to seven other blogsters that I love.  Big smiley face!
Little Green Shed http://littlegreenshed.blogspot.com/
Magic Beans  http://sparklymagicbeans.blogspot.com/
Bears Footprint http://bearsfootprints.blogspot.com/
Bristol Parenting Cafe http://bristolparentingcafe.blogspot.com/
Flour Child http://flourchildren.blogspot.com/
A quiet corner http://a-quiet-corner.blogspot.com/
Blessing Manifesting http://blessingmanifesting.blogspot.com/

And to also tell you seven things about myself:

1. I used to be able to bring my feet behind my back to my ears & pretend my foot was a phone.  Freaked my family out a treat, especially my brother.   Teehee.
2. Which brings me to my crowning glory.  I was a County Gymnastics Champion when I was 14.  Its all gone downhill since!
3. I met my beloved husband in a backpackers in Sydney, Australia. 
4. I love love love Christmas.  Especially fairy lights
5. I worked a ski chalet in France & learnt to snowboard.  It hurt.
6. Everyone always thinks I am a vegetarian.  I can do veggie cooking but I do eat meat.
7. I lived in an alternative community for 3 years in my 20s.  It was both hard work & awesome.

Thankyou Karen.  That was fun!

Thankful Thursday

Today I am grateful for:

• Standing in my power and starting to claim my authentic voice .
• Downloading the bonus day from Goddess Leonie's Worlds Biggest Summit.  With SARK.  whoohoo!
• That I got all my housework done.  Go me!
• My allotment looking happy for all my attention this week.
• Being able to help a friend out when she needed me to.
• Lovely new veg & fruit box from Abel & Cole,  with grapes.  mmmmmmm
• Sunshine on a cold day.
• Cuddling with Roo & reading his story, at least three times, in the warm sunny conservatory.
• Pretty new mugs for my tea.
• Feeling part of a community.

and so to sleep...

What is it with me at the moment?  A sleep filled night would be rather lovely.  I haven't slept well for a few nights and then...

Last night I spent from 1a.m. till 5 a.m. in a toddler bed with my 3 year old turning my face towards him ('I need to guddle you mummy') rather than allowing me to sleep how I needed to actually fit into said toddler bed.  More than once I gave thanks for only being 5ft!  My best hours sleep were between 5am to 7.30am.  Really.  I am getting to old for this. 

And so to sleep, perchance to dream.

Wishcrafting Wednesday - Reclaiming

Today, at Jamie Ridler's Wishcrafting, she asks

What do you wish to Reclaim?

I would like to reclaim my Power this year.  I have a tendency to give it away.  It's mine.  I want it back.  I am the best person to do anything with it.

I wish to reclaim who I am.

I also want to reclaim my camera.  I found these images on today in downloading my pictures.  Methinks I didn't take them!

A Joyous New Year to you!

I hope you got everything you wished for.  Even if it was masking tape in your stocking.

I got to spend a solstice sunrise morning with my beautiful girl who turned 10 at the beginning of the week.  Lots of walks with the family.  Lovely quiet christmas & new year.

And after a very reflective holiday now it is time to move on in to the shiny bright New Year. 

I hope you had a wonderful wonderful time.  Here's to a gorgeous New Year.

Happy Solstice

Wishing you all a wonderful & joyous solstice.

Well, ok it was yesterday evening, but today was the closest sunrise.  Our planned visit to Stonehenge was abandoned in the face of a sick child, so myself & Bini got up a bit later than planned & took ourselves and a flask of warm up to our spot.   The top of the world.  Seems that we have a history of poorliness at the crucial 'lets get outside in the cold & watch the sunrise' time.  Here's hoping we venture a bit further afield next year!
Still, it was a lovely sunrise, quite mild, and a band of clear sky to see the sun, a few minutes after it rose.  The greatest joy, however, was in spending some time with my sweet daughter, just she & I.  Although we did miss sharing the sunrise with our boys.

May your yule be full of love & joy. x

Wishcrafting Wednesday - who do you wish to have tea with?

Well, with my morning cuppa in my hand, I popped into Jamie's studio today to see what her wishcrafting prompt was.  ' Who do you wish to have tea with?'.  Oh my!  I am British & Tea is what we do.  Its a cultural cure-all, the glue that holds us together.  We are taught how to make tea as soon as we are old enough to reach the kettle.  We know tea.  'Would you like a cup of tea?' is the very first thing you say to a guest once their feet are over the threshold.  And even if you don't then you just say yes & only drink a bit.  To say no, well, it just halts the social niceties in their tracks!  I love the ritual of tea making, it gives you something to do & say while you adjust to each other's energies.  Anyway, I digress.  Who do I wish to have tea with?

My initial reaction, which I always listen to, was ME!  I love this time of the morning, when everyone has been taken, or taken themselves, to where they need to be for the day.  And I can just sit down with a cuppa in my favourite mug and catch up with myself.  A small pause before I then get on with the rest of my morning jobs & joys.

Then, I thought about who else I would like to share a tea time with.  Grand sweeping thoughts of famous and/or inspiring people.  No-one stood out.  I realise that the person I most enjoy spending tea time when I am not in solitude, is my beloved husband.  And tonight we will be doing just that!  Tonight, we are going on a date, for the first time in I don't know how long.  We have had a dear friend staying with us for several weeks and it just occurs to us now to take advantage of some built-in babysitting!  So we will be out together.  Probably a swim & sauna followed by a cuppa at the coffee shop there.  I am sooooooo EXCITED!  Wheeeee.  A tea date with my love!