Solstice magic

We walked as quickly as we could up a densely covered heathery hill, racing to catch the last rays of the dying summer solstice sun.  We sat in silence as we watched the colours of the sky turn intensely orange, highlighting the dramatic heavy clouds. Then gradually the sun slipped down and the sky began to pale.

We returned down the slope to where were had planned to set up camp and in the fading light laid out the sleeping bags ready. Our mattress was going to be the thick mounds of scented heathers.

 Further down, where the car was parked we fired up the kelly (if there is one thing you buy yourself this year - make it this) and drank hot chocolate and greedily ate ginger cake.

It never really got dark that night as we lay in our sleeping bags. Whispering to each other as we watched shooting stars and satellites cross the steely grey blue sky. Then as I began to drift off at about 2am, Eldest whispered 'owl!'

I opened by eyes and was met by the dark shadow of a barn owl as it silently flew just over head. The down draft of its wings wafting my fringe - what a thrill of magic!

The moon appeared about 3am and I took photos of it as Himself lay watching it rise.

Himself later watched the sun rise as we all slept, taking pictures first of the sun itself then of the mist as it filled the valleys, leaving us marooned on our 'island' hill.

Breakfast was piping hot mugs of coffee and steaming pots of porridge.

Our experience was magical and we all felt elated afterwards, making plans to repeat our micro-adventure - Oh wild camping - you were amazing. Thank you.

Liebster Award part 2

After yesterday's marathon waffle - I promise this will be a lot shorter.

My 11 nominees, in no particular order, for the Liebster Award are :

1. Caravan Crafts 
2. Super Gran
3. Threads through my life
4. a butterfly in my hair
5. More Powerful Beyond Measure 
6. Just-Do
7. "ook?!"
8. A Whole Plot of Love
9. Needles and Wool
10. Thistlebear
11. The House with the Blue Door

Well done everyone - I get so much pleasure from reading your blogs and pass this award on to you as a thank you,

And my questions to you are -

1. I love hearing the sound of the rain, coming from Africa it is seen as a gift, how do you feel about the rain?
2. Ever done something at school that at the time seemed really cool but now - you've realised 'how silly' it was?
3. Got any tattoos and/or piercings? Care to share/reveal??
4. What is on your knitting needles or crochet hook at the moment?
5. When I need a little 'me time' I put on the fairy lights, light some incense and reach for my crafting - what do you do?
6. What is the perfect film to take your best friend to see? (Can be current or vintage) and why that particular one?
7. Do you have a favourite colour/s above all others? 
8. Does that colour dominate your wardrobe?
9. What bit of technology could NOT do with out?
10. Is there something that wish you could perfect or even attempt? For me it is knitting socks - something I will do......one day.
11. If you could travel to anywhere in the world for a picnic with your most favourite person, where would it be and what would be in your picnic basket - go on the world is your oyster!

I so look forward to reading your answers and before I forget - please can the new nominees include

• 11 random facts about themselves, 
• answer my 11 questions,
• then choose 11 blogs they feel deserve the Liebster Award 
• think of 11 questions you would like to ask them :)

I'm back! Liebster Award

Whoa - what a relief, I am finally free of the tyranny of my folder, my practice test papers and my exams. 

It was a strange feeling, walking out of the 'viva' (oral) after it was over and standing blinking in the sunshine and thinking 'Now what?'  

And d'you know what I did? I found some gardens in the college and following the wonderfully inviting signboard suggesting that I 'please walk around our gardens and enjoy the solitude and peace' - I did just that.

A quiet 15 or so minutes, allowed me to emerge from my brain-overload-fug and reconnect with the real world and it was so cathartic. And Breathe.......

Thank you EvERYonE who texted, emailed or dropped me a card wishing me well - your words were very special to me :)

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

While I was away I was lucky enough to be nominated for a Liebster Award by the delightful Amjaylou. I contacted her and asked if I could do my part of the nominations once I'd have finished and so here is my Liebster post xxxx 

Thank you of thinking of me Amanda xxxx

Amjaylou set some questions as part of 'a getting to know you better' interview as well as asking me to list 11 facts about myself. So here goes - 

1. I was born in Zimbabwe (Rhodesia) Africa,
2. Learnt to shoot by 12 years old, 
3. Drove around sugar cane fields in South Africa flat out in a friend's bright blue beetle pretending to be a rally driver (Sorry Mom and Dad!), 
4. Wear a silver ring on my 2nd toe on my left foot, 
5. Would loved to have had a Celtic armband tattoo when I was younger but now glad I didn't - would rather have a Celtic knot pattern on my lower back, (repeat same apology as in point 3)
6.  Love hares and moonlight and the mythical magic and stories of the ancients, 
7. Only learnt to crochet and knit in the last 5 years and wish I'd learnt a very long time ago,
8. Married to my very bestest friend in the world,
9. Slept under the stars on summer solstice and felt the downdraft of an owl's wing on my face as I lay watching the last residue light fade below the horizon,
10. Can make bird sounds and whistle without moving my mouth - used to do it at the back of a class room whilst maintaining an air of innocence when a teacher would demand to know who'd brought a sparrow into the class room and to release it immediately! 
11. Celebrating nearly thirty years of being a vegetarian - now that can't be bad :)

Now for Amjaylou's  interview -

How many WIPs do you have at the moment and what are they?

Well, not too many as I had to be super hard on myself over the last 15  or so months while I tackled my assignments and swotting but I did manage to finish a couple of Sea to Sky hats - but I do have a shawl on the knitting needles, one fingerless mitten waiting for its sibling to be cast on, a crochet cushion cover about 3/4 done (not just any old cushion but an ENTIRE chair....no I don't know what possessed me either!) but I now have no excuse not to be crafting :)

Regarding days out what would be your idea of heaven?

I love walking, so either being out on the hills with my boys, flask of tea and the obligatory knitting or walking along the coast, preferably with cliff edges and sea birds screeching over head and yes you guessed it - boys, tea and knitting!

What is your idea of hell?

Sitting on a stinking hot day on a beach - I don't do sunbathing (not as a freckly red head!) or beach holidays - despite loving being by the sea and as for the sitting still bit - ergh.

What book are you reading at the moment?

Nothing YippEE!!!! - coz all I have been reading over the last few weeks usually had some gruesome in-depth detail of parasitic worm life cycles or liver fluke infestations or some nasty gut disease and not to be reading anything is strangely liberating.

What is your favourite tipple?

Tea - a good brew of smoky assam or a lapsang souchong or a light refreshing peppermint green tea. Sometimes a good old fashioned 'builder's brew' of Yorkshire tea is the best thing to down when work is frazzling and the phones are ringing off the hook. Tea, tea, tea ----- aaaah. Oh yes, ginger and mango or triple ginger for that extra kick, then there is black rooibos and cinnamon oh the list goes on and on and on...

What's been your best holiday you've been on so far?

New Zealand springs to mind, but some of our Scottish holidays have been bordering on an SAS inspired survival course and they I look back at with reasonable (misguided) fondness.

What is your dream destination?

Iceland or the Faroes or somewhere Scandinavian.

What would you put in Room 101?

Non essential road works - you know the type I mean, when you drive along the road, have to stop coz there are roadworks and the light is red (for aaaaages) and there is no traffic coming the other way and there are no road workers doing any work. No body. Just cones, flashing lights and me....waiting....for the ****** lights to change. (stories of me jumping these lights are purely speculative and unless you have photographic proof - I am saying nothing.....)

Do you have a favourite TV chef?

The two deliciously hairy bikers they could cook for me AnY TiMe!

and finally -

What is my all time favourite cake?

Hmmm, don't think I have an all time favourite, I do like carrot cake and it is one I ask for, so I suppose it must be that, but I am not really a cake eater.

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Wow, that kept me busy for a while! Will do part 2 in another post and I will list my nominees and questions for them.

What a lovely way to step back into blogging - I do have a plethora of stories and photos to share but I will temper my enthusiasm and resist to share and show all, you would all run off bored ridged with my wafflings :)

For the time being.............

There isn't much time left before I write my exams, 

 So I am going bury myself in my books and disappear until mid July - 

please excuse me if I seem to have become invisible, 

it's because you can't see me behind the pile of books!

til then............

xxxx

Singing

Things that make my heart sing.

A bird's feather catching the breeze.

A beautifully knitted brooch for a birthday gift.

Drinking tea from a thoughtfully chosen mug.

 Finding the most teeny-weeny perfect fern frond.

Wearing a new favourite ring - a spinning Celtic ring - another very thoughtfully gifted birthday present

Finding beauty in rust and history

Being gifted gemstones and 'found' stones by people who know my love for these little spherules

 
Wearing something ancient and modern, ammonite and silver.

Being tickled by somebody small and green
.....these are some of the things that make my heart sing.

And reading your comments and thoughts - they make my heart sing too - thank you xx

War Horse

Himself bought us tickets to see the stage production of War Horse at the Alhambra  Theatre Bradford. It was WonDeRFuL!

We sat high up in the upper circle on seats no wider than a school ruler with non existent leg room but none of that mattered when the curtain went up and the narrator started to sing in a most delicious folky voice.

Then the horse came on stage and after the initial recognition that three men were working a life sized puppet I very quickly was drawn into the story and the horse became alive. The movements and noises made were so realistic and the actors reaction to the horse only confirmed that Joey (horse) was real and this was no long a stage production but a farm in Devon or an auction mart or the fields of Flanders with bombs and tanks and barbed wire.

I cried.

Several times.

Tears streamed down my face.

My heart leapt and sank and I had goose bumps and I even found that I had covered my mouth with both hands to prevent myself from crying out when Joey was tangled in barbed wire in no-man's land.

The puppetry was so good that when horses and soldiers were killed on the battle field, I wept.

Explosions were deafening, bombs and bullets were real so so terrifyingly real.

And when two debilitated and dying horses were whipped on stage as they valiantly tried to pull a field gun - a man and his young son next to me left, the youngster could take no more heart break.

Suddenly it was finished and we stumbled out of the theatre - almost drained yet elated at the brilliance of it all.


If you ever get a chance to see it - do so, not the film, no, but the theatre production - it is worth every bottom-numbing, knee cramped moment.

Sea to sky part 2

 

Second time around.

Dear dear hat I love you so much.

Not that I didn't love the first version - I did, but somehow we did not gel. However, 2nd hat - you are my favourite one now. You didn't knit up as smoothly as I had anticipated, we did have some disagreements and disappointments but when I cast off and wove in your ends - I fell in love, deeply in love.

So much so that I took you for your first walk today - Sunday - on a bright and sunny day.

And I didn't CaRe! Because you were there, on my rather warm head.

I love the way you slouch over my head in a devil may care sort of way looking laid back and lazy. Thank goodness for a sneaky breeze up on the moorland tops and the cooler air by the river.

And as usual, I have tinkered with the pattern (not that I am proficient enough of a knitter really to do such a frippery nonsense) but still I am happy with the result.

Ah - HaPpY mE!!!

A gentle end to a very happy week and weekend.  So many wonderful things happened and I have really enjoyed these last few days.  I will, over the course of the week share some of them with you.

How are you? Had a lovely weekend? I hope so, go on - share what you got up to :) I love to hear what you do xxxx

passeggiata

Friday evening.

After a week of amazing friends, wonderful family, gifts and cake, all I wanted, all I needed was a bit of fresh air, big sky and a passeggiata*.

 As we walked along, feeling the receding gentle warmth of the evening sun, I thought on the last few days.  I celebrated my birthday mid week and I have been surrounded by love and generosity. I have been touched at the thoughtfulness of my dear friends and family.  

Thank you all - so very very much xxx

 

 

We sat beneath the beech trees and gazed at the view. We were in no hurry, we just needed to breathe.

*passeggiata - an evening stroll taken not for exercise but for pleasure.

Knitting notes

Not that I managed much knitting whilst on the hills, doing most of it in the car to and from our walk, I still try and take it out with me. Even if I can only manage a few stitches, I like to think that the surroundings are picked up by the wool and woven into the pattern.

I like to look at something I have made and know that memories of hills and blue skies or the scent and sounds of the sea have been incorporated into the making.

Sitting sipping at a hillside mug of tea, taking in the view and k1, LT, k6, RT, kl seems to make a walk  all that more special, all that more magic.

old bones

Weather bleached bones litter the hillsides. 

Mostly sheep, occasionally rabbit or weasel, sometimes a bird skull and beak. 

I often wonder at the demise of the owners of these bones. 

Did they die naturally? 

Did the fall prey to a hungry fox? 

Did the snows over winter seep their last remaining energy and lying down and sleeping 

till they died was the most natural thing to do?  

Nothing is wasted. 

The flesh is all gone, eaten, scavenged by passing animals, 

wool and fur taken for nesting material. 

All that is left are reminders of lives gone.

Into the blue

Our plans to set off first thing Saturday morning ended up with us only leaving just before lunchtime. With our eyes on the grey skies and coats, hats and gloves packed in our bags we arrived at the tiny hamlet of Halton Gill in Littondale. We had been going to walk up to and along the ridge of hills surrounding Halton Gill however, as we only had the afternoon left to us - we shorten our route a fair bit. 

Still. 

Just to be out. 

On the hills, heads in the cloud was enough. 

The only sounds were our footsteps, sky larks singing their defensive songs, lapwings calling overhead and the distant but ever present bleating of sheep.

We sat on a small alp as we ate our belated lunch and watched the clouds melt away leaving the most eye achingly beautiful blue drenched sky. As much as I tried I could not drink in all the wild isolated beauty. 

It is times like these that I am so glad to be alive, so glad to be able to visit here and so so very glad that my boys were on the hills with me. Sitting in the grass next to beetles and insects as they buzzed around with their little lives and looking at the enormous vista made me feel very small yet totally complete in one go. An amazing and wonderful feeling.

How was your weekend?

Did you do something amazing?

Did you get out and experience the beauty of being 'out there'?