Winter Solstice Seasonal Swap

Beautiful, thoughtful Faerwillow over at To Fall or Stumble Upon has set up another exciting Seasonal Swap!

For those creative, artistic ones amongst us, what a wonderful way to share your handicrafts; for everyone else, a chance to reach out and greet another like-minded spirit. 

Nene Thomas - Queen of Owls

Look no further for an enchanting way to celebrate this most magickal of seasons with friends. Take a peek into Faerwillow's wintry wonderland here. 

Happy!

A wonderful lady bestowed upon me this thoughtful gift yesterday.

Faerwillow

over at 

~serendipity~

Thank you so much for sharing this. It's such a delightful idea.

Here goes with my...

10 things that make me happy

One

My amazingly supportive, large, loud, crazy family. Every last one of them.

Two

Spending time with this boy. Bliss.

Three

Sharing memories, laughter, fun and frolics with my fantastic friends.

Four

Photography. It's growing to be an obsession.

Five

Travel. Oh, how this spirit loves to go a-wandering.

Six

Watching the seasons turn in the natural world. 

Seven

Gardening. Knowing I have nurtured something into life is a blessing.

Eight

Cats. Our family have been blessed with some truly special feline companions.

Nine

Light. I am one who does not fare well without it.

Ten

Words. To write or to read - that is the question.

***

How about you? What makes you happy?

For the kindness shown me by Faerwillow, in turn I pass this award to the following ten lovelies, who will hopefully share with us their secrets to happiness. 

Tezzie at Not Always Picture Perfect

Willow at Wandering in the Woods

Marci at Our Frugal Pagan Home

Ponderosa Pagan

Jo at Tanglefrost

Jennifer at Confessions of a Kitchen Witch

Ramblings of a Newbie Pagan

Mother Moon

Beyond the Fields We Know

Zuzu at A Cottage in the Woods

Blessings

Fruition...

...can only come from nurturing and time. This is the case in all areas of life. When I returned home from my holiday I was delighted to find an array of treats waiting for me - all fruits borne from that special combination.

The first treat was found in my post-box...

...a package of surprises from the wonderfully generous Mother Moon.

What delights I found within!

A very dainty pair of earrings. These pretty, delicate ones are just my style.

A set of hand-decorated notecards - perfect for thank yous!

And last but by no means least, a fantastical card, with such a sweet message which went to the heart of how I feel about blogging. 

We are part of a community here and I am loving reaching out to meet like-minded people and hope to get to know you all better over the forthcoming months. These treats are a reminder that with nurture and time, friendships can grow. 

Many thanks and brightest blessings, Mother Moon. 

...

The second treat was a wonderful reward for a lot of patience and care over the past few months.

When I first moved in to my cottage, a year ago, a friend bought me a beautiful orchid as a house-warming gift. After several months in bloom, the flowers sadly began to drop one by one until I was left with an empty stem. This happens with all orchids, whose flowering life is limited.

However, I did not want to discard the plant. I had heard it is very rare that an orchid will flower again, but I did not want to give up. I cut the flowerless stem right down and moved the orchid to a shaded, cooler spot.

About five months later I noticed a new stem had appeared. A few weeks after that there were buds on it. I was delighted! And when I walked into my living room on Monday, this was what I saw...

The orchid has triumphed against the odds! Blessed are we with little rewards given for nurturing and having the patience to allow time to work its wonders. 

An Invitation...

...to you all to take a look at this wonderful wildlife documentary, about Bottlenose Dolphins resident off the coast of the British Isles, in Cardigan Bay.

Bay of the Bottlenose Dolphin from Katherine Dixon on Vimeo.

This film has been made by my lovely friend Kat, who I haven't seen in about a year (boo hoo!) because she has been working so hard. The result is this stunning footage, which has been captured as the final project for her MSc in Biological Photography and Imaging.

I'm so proud of her, as well as my friend Ryan, who has composed the beautiful score which accompanies the film. What I love most about the documentary is that it reminds the viewer of the complexity of the natural environments all around them, which we often take for granted, as well as offering the opportunity to witness some of our country's most magical creatures thriving. Let us hope it stays that way.

If you want to see more of Kat's outstanding wildlife photography, she can be found here, or keep up-to-date with her escapades as she roams around the country with her camera, by reading her blog. 

Life is good...

I was delighted to find that I'd been given this beautiful award by Crystal Rainbow over at Sparkle and Shine today - what a lovely surprise! And a fantastic idea to help us all get to know one another in an interesting way.  Life truly is good.   

So thank you, Crystal, and here are my answers to your thoughtful questions...

***

1. What would you perfect day consist of?

Waking up to the sunshine pouring through my windows, breakfast in my pjs with B and the papers or a good book, followed by a long walk, a big family dinner and finished off with cuddles and a bottle of wine on the sofa. Bliss. 

2. How would you describe yourself if you were an item of clothing?

A little pair of ballerina pumps - small and dainty. 

3. What hobbies are you currently working on?

Writing, photography, reading, needle crafts, cooking and a bit of knitting.

4. Walking in the woods in wellies or bare foot on the beach?

Oooh, tough one - both are favourites. Bare foot on the beach - I love feeling the sea and sand between my toes.

5. Have you ever hugged or sang to a tree?

Hugged and spoken to all the time. I think I sing like a crow, so I'd be worried about offending the poor tree!

6. Growing your own veggies or nipping to the supermarket?

Growing my own veggies. Sadly my 'garden' is tiny and mostly in containers so that is limited, but one day I am determined to have enough space to grow everything myself. 

7. Have you found anyone exciting in your family tree?

No-one 'famous' that I'm aware of, but I think discovering your roots is always exciting.

8. Slap up meal in a posh restaurant or fish 'n' chips from the wrapper?

A bit of both for balance. 

9. Which element do you most resonate with, Earth, Air, Fire or water?

I'm a real Earth girl but I work with Fire a lot also. 

10. Do you believe in fairies?

Oh yes. 

***

My own nominees for this award are...

Faerwillow at ~serendipity~

Anna at Annabel's House

Willow at Wandering in the Woods

Mother Moon at Mother Moon's Message

Liz at Lizzie's Logic

...and here are my questions to them...

1. What is the most memorable dream you have ever had?

2. Do you have a 'spirit' or totem animal or an animal you feel particularly connected with?

3. If you could go on any journey tomorrow, where would you end up?

4. A cozy winter's eve by the hearth or a warm summer's day by the sea?

5. If you could conquer one fear, what would it be?

6. What is your favourite poem?

7. What are your most frequently used herbs and what do you use them for?

8. Savoury snacks or sweet puddings?

9. What is one thing you wish to achieve this year?

10. What would your perfect day consist of?
(I loved this question, so I have pinched it!)

Blessings.

Secret Buddy

I am the type of person who enjoys giving gifts. I love choosing them, making them and wrapping them decoratively.

These beautiful ribbons caught my eye when browsing at my local garden centre and, in all honesty, they are lovely enough to be a gift themselves rather than just the wrapping. They brought to mind an idea that I recently introduced at my school; an idea that has its roots in the joy of selfless giving.

Towards the end of last term, my faculty at school was experiencing quite a bit of change which made for an uneasy atmosphere with several people seeming worried, stressed and sad. First and foremost, I dislike seeing anyone upset or gloomy so I wanted to do something to bring a little cheer back into our workplace. I also firmly believe that we are more productive, creative and inspired in our teaching if we are happy and supporting each other.

With this in mind, I set about arranging a little system by which we could all look after each other. I invited everyone to fill in a form which looked like this...

...fold it up and put it into a box. The idea is that everyone draws out someone’s piece of paper in secret and then has to ‘treat’ that person, using their list of favourite things as a guide. If at any time they think that person is feeling down, having a difficult week or just wants to make them smile, they buy them a little gift and anonymously leave it in their pigeon-hole or on their desk at work.

Already it has sparked everyone’s enthusiasm, with people giving and receiving all manner of thoughtful treats.  I am a ‘buddy’ for a member of our faculty who works in an office with no window. I thought she would like some tulips, much like these, as she cannot see the spring blooming from her workspace. 

There’s little in the world more satisfying than knowing you have brought a smile to someone’s face.