~ Random Doings ~

Already more than a week into March, and the time is galloping away. Talking of galloping, I am really hoping to keep the promise I made myself a few years ago, and get back on a horse this year. My walking friend and I are going to visit a riding stables and go like the wind across those hills beyond the fence! I'll keep you posted.

We set up a display in our local library to advertise the Astronomy group we belong to. I made the hat...and the scarf....that 'Mr Newton' is proudly wearing. My Man painted away his nakedness and we set up everything else around him. Notice My Man's lovely illustration on the poster. He's so clever :~))

The monthly meeting was on Tuesday evening, and everyone was frustrated by the viewing, which had been gloriously clear on Monday, and again last night....but clouded out and wet on Tuesday :~((( However, the committee had prepared indoor doings....a powerpoint slideshow showing what was going on in the sky this month, many different telescopes on show, with questions answered, and a showing of the wonderful astro photos taken by our best photographer. My Man is Chairman, and I volunteer as the welcoming committee, tea maker, and biscuit provider.

Our first meeting was in November last year, with six of us in attendance, so we were really happy that twenty or more turned up on Tuesday :~)))

My Milky Way Man :~) 

with his trusty and beloved Tal 1

I love that he's a dreamer ~

Have loved the light coming in to our 

living room recently

Several stones are happy to come and live with us for a while. 

Some like being together, like these; 

others prefer to be alone. 

We love having them share our space ~

This is our trusty steed of FUN :~))))

Hope you are all having good days.

Cariad Mawr

H x

~ Why I won't have a new cooker ~

One day, not long after we moved here over nine years ago, I came home from working on the Willow farm and found that My Man had been busy.

We moved here from a static caravan where, for cooking, we had this, and the little cooker we had when we lived in this, (we lived in several rather unusual spaces until we came here).

I loved what he had built around our little cooker, and still do, so I do not want to lose it to a new  super~duper oven. It gets interesting at times, when more than two burners would be useful, but I manage with a bit of juggling.

The old cutlery tray was my grandmother's

We use driftwood for many things:

door pulls. 

My Man made this cupboard for me out of bits of things he

had about the place.

It hangs in our bathroom.

knife and spoon racks.

He made the knife one, I copied him

and made the spoon one.

We enjoy making from things around us. It is much more satisfying than buying and usually it's more original too.

What do you like to make from things you find lying around?

~ Treasures from a Bootsale ~



Yesterday was such a good day. Vinyl power is back in our house. Our last turntable broke down months ago, and I have been waiting patiently for the right one to come along. I was dancing up and down when My Man found this and grabbed me to 'come look'. It has a little pull-out turntable and can even be run on batteries...perfect...sigh. Last night was spent with a smile on my face as friends, long locked away behind cupboard doors, burst into tuneful freedom and tickled my auricular fancy.

The Polaroid is the sixth one I have found for less than £2 over the last few years. I can't resist them.....even though I think this one is the first that will take the film from the Impossible Project....I've yet to check on that, but it is 600 ~ so now all I have to do is justify the cost of the film and hope that I get somewhere close to the results of this lady, and this lady, aaaaaand this lady. I would like to have fun trying anyway.

The little sweetie is a V.P. Twin...how could I resist....and I'm hoping to have fun with this too!

Love this.

Six Polaroids and a Kodak

~ And I'm so happy with my new turquoise and lapis lazuli blog colours ~
Tra~la~la

Cariad Mawr
x

~ Simple Living ~

Inspired by this lovely post, I thought I'd share some of the things we do to live simply.

The image above has been how our evenings have looked for the past week as we cosy~in now the colder and darker nights are with us. 

Our home is filled with gifts from nature ~ feathers, stones, shells, bones, driftwood, fir cones, empty nests ~ each one a reminder of happy days spent outdoors in woods and fields, on beaches and hillsides with not a penny spent on these riches. Home made gifts of art made by friends adorn our walls, hold our candles, keep us warm, tell us the time, making us think with gladness of people who are dear to us each time our eyes alight on these precious items. Our own art reminds us of the flow of creativity so important to us. The (sooo many!) books we love snuggle closely to one another in wooden cheese boxes that line the walls of our rooms.

Living simply means we take time to appreciate the things that are important to us, enjoy each moment ~ as Brooke said ~ "slow down"

We chose many years ago not to have a television, and recently, we have chosen to be without a car too. We are not sure if we will be able to keep to that one though! A motorbike might find its way to us ~ before Jac was born that was what we enjoyed. We were rather a funny sight towards the end of my pregnancy, (I was huge in the front), when My Man was pushed up onto the petrol tank and I was as far back as I could go without falling off and Our Boy taking up all the rest of the seat. Or then, another camper van could enter our lives and we will go off on Bohemian adventures once more :~) Whatever life brings though, we will take it slow and simple. 

~ Samhain ~

Ash trees have lost their leaves;

Only their keys

Hang dark and stark

Like the silhouette of inverted bats,

With thin witch-finger branches

Clawing up

Into a deepening azure dusk.

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Today, I went out to our local car boot sale and later, a supermarket, dressed like this:

Off to get the broomstick

I enjoyed it so much! I think there's a little touch of a thespian in there somewhere! What I found interesting though was the range of reactions from people when they noticed how I was dressed. 

Most, I am glad to say, smiled; some asked me where did I get my hat....one lady sang it to me :~) Others laughed and delightedly said how much they loved how I looked ~ that made me happy * There were a sad few who looked in derision, scorn and had cross, unfriendly faces, and one pretty lady who said she liked my hat then laughed nastily? I felt strong enough to take it today or I would not have gone out looking like this, but it did make me wonder what their lives must be like that they reacted that way. It made me think of all sorts of reasons and excuses for them. Maybe they are having a really hard time. Maybe they are ill. Maybe someone they love is ill. Anyway, I send them love and hope they find happiness.

My favourite one was a little boy in the supermarket who turned to his mum with huge eyes and whispered "Mum, there's a witch" :~) I had such a pleasant little chat with him, which made my day.

                    

        

~ Happy Samhain ~

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