taking a breather

Phew, a long week - it is a relief to be home. Chores that have to be done are done, and the rest can wait! We plan to tackle the mini pickles room this weekend ready for decorating and a new bed. But first a bit of t.v. time, a picnic supper (for pickle) and a film in bed with white chocolate chip and pecan cookies (for me). Cookies in the oven now smelling divine... and Mr L missing it all by being on night shift at work.

I have seen in several blogs the idea of 1 image that reminds you of your week, so am borrowing that idea today. This is the sun setting over Stratford on Avon last weekend. And it was very cold!

January reads

In brief -

Switched - Amanda Hocking

a good easy read with a twist - not vampires but Trylle - a sort of fairytale world. Am definitely up for reading the rest of the series.

The Invisible Ones - Stef Penney
A more complex tale, twists and turns ands an interesting style of writing. This one is based around gypsy life and mystery intruigue.

As you can see i am not the only one in my family who far too often has a nose in a book!
Off to look in my pile to see what comes next - a cheap end pile of books this month, as january budgeting hits my finances! I could so easily spend hundreds on books each month and have to restrain myself and do swaps with others instead!

lost village

 We discovered a lost village while walking on the very windy beach on the south coast with a low sun sending rays out over everything it could see.

It was an old mill which had been abandoned, I guess when the industrial revolution really began to have an impact. There were lots of crumbling walls, templates of long forgotten homes, a railway track half buried in sand and stone running past ruined storage buildings full of brick piles. Neither of us knew this place was there, so it felt like a treasue on what was otherwise a difficult and tiring day - my father in laws funeral.

At the funeral, in a lovely stone church, paramedics lined the pathway to the church to pay their respects to a long serving colleague - it was extremely moving. Rest now B.

sunshine days

lovely sunshine, this time last year it was snow covered landscapes - today a brisk spring time feel, with glorious sunshine to show us our way

 

a sideways shot of the castle church reflected in the water

and mostly having fun; before we came across this rope swing, we saw a lady dressed up as a red indian with 3 pink helium balloons, taking photos of herself; I wondered what she was doing, and why; my imagination went into overdrive! it didnt feel like middle england, but a potential film set, art student getting creative or local blogger creating odd snaps!

resolves

I dont believe in resolutions for new years - they dont work. Most people have stopped doing whatever they chose by february anyway! so this year i choose to resolve to do some things, rather than opt to give something up. maybe it will work this time!

 I resolve to carry my camera around with me more, and take pictures of things that catch my eye

 I resolve to do more fun stuff; go to gigs, movies, galleries and museums - things that interest me

 I resolve to give my daughter more experiences of food from other cultures; she did love a good curry!

I resolve to continue to play; whether making towns from junk (with a spa or 2! (Bowls of water)), or in the snow, or from leaves and stones in the form of fairy gardens. Release the inner child.

what will you resolve for this year?

patterns of light

                                                    I love twinkly lights most of all
 

                                          simple beauty; 

                                   that never quite looks the same on a photo!

                                           late afternoon sun

                                               at the park

2012 - I will try to blog more often, life gets in the way, but I keep taking photos and thinking thoughts.