While today wasn’t exactly what I’d call spring like (by the afternoon we hit a mighty -15c), compared to the -40 we had mid week it felt positively balmy! Along with the glorious sunshine and the crunchy conditions underfoot, it was the perfect day to wrap up and head out. Some of us really needed to burn off some steam… They ran just for the sake of it, bounding across the snow to meet me. They had been exploring their hideout in…
There is beauty in embracing the reality that things kind of suck. There is beauty in the abandonment of self, the crashing aside of the props of ego and the delicious decline into unmitigated annoyance, grumpiness and self pity. The cascade of freedom that unfurls within as we allow ourselves to cry “But this is rubbish!” I try to look for the positive, don’t we all? But I have to say I loathe January. Now I don’t know anyone who…
On Friday we made a start on one of Huwyl’s christmas presents, a volcano making kit. He mixed the plaster and poured it into the mould and then waited (sort of) patiently for it to set. Next he painted it, graciously allowing his little brother some creative input, and allowed that to dry. I think it was a longer process than he’d originally imagined. Neirin had his own little experiment tray to play with, water, baking soda and some drops…
As any busy person knows a hot drink is a luxury. The chance to pause, to make the drink, to wait for it to hit that perfect drinking temperature and then the time it takes to savour and enjoy. In the lives of many this can be out of reach. Yet we all know that the difference between a good day and a bad day is a series of moments. When we reflect on how a day went, what it…
A thaw has arrived, bringing with it the illusion of spring and melting. The crunchy, powdered flakes of snow have become slick, slippery ice that tricks our feet and trips us as we tumble into the warming sun. We turn our faces to the beaming light, rejoicing in the lack of pinching and biting in the winter air. But the ice beneath makes everything seem a little treacherous, a little unsure. As I watched the chickens tuck into their treats…
So 2013 has officially dawned. Stephen has gone back to work (after prising the boys and, well, me off his legs) and our school has begun again. The house is oddly quiet and there is a big man shaped empty space that I’m trying not to think about too much or blubbing will commence. Are there people who don’t feel sad when their beloved departs back to work after a holiday? Are there people who think ‘phew, I’m glad to…
I wish I could say that I could keep my kitchen looking like this all of the time, but that would be a very big lie. As in, it could be seen from space due to it’s inordinate massivenessosity. That’s pretty big. Nope, most of the time the surfaces are covered in some kind of food in progress, either at the beginning or the end of the cooking/eating process. Honestly, that’s the way I like it. I will freely admit,…
It being New Years Eve today, naturally the missus and I decided to spend some quality time with the chickens. These ladies have been popping out eggs all year and with the weather turning Canadian-nasty over the last couple of weeks, they’ve been packed in tighter than Germans at a Hasslehoff concert. We’ve been employing the deep litter technique for their bedding which sounds like Middlesbrough Council’s approach to inner-city street cleaning but is in fact a bona-fide approach for keeping…