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. 

A little holiday

The reason I have been absent from the blogosphere over the past couple of weeks...

B and I have been enjoying the delights of Cornwall. 

I shall be back tomorrow with a 'proper' post. 

I have missed writing and peeking into my favourite blog-world windows. 

Blessings to you all.

A New Arrival

One of the reasons I have been a bit quiet on the blog front over the past couple of weeks is this little munchkin...

Meet Sydney - the newest member of our family!

Sydney was one of a small litter that a friend's cat had three months ago. As they needed homes, my Mum decided to take one in, hoping she would be a companion for our cat Cleo, who has been on her own for about six months now.

Step by small step they are getting used to each other and while I was at home visiting, as I'm sure you can imagine, much of my time was taken up playing with both cat and kitten.

After all, who could resist that little face?

Even when it cheekily sticks out a tiny tongue!

Amaretti

Anything almond flavoured is a bit of an obsession of mine. My favourite drink is an amaretto sours and I absolutely adore soft, squidgy almond macaroons - just like these 'amaretti morbidi'.

In the past I have had to learn to curb my enthusiasm for treats such as these, for two reasons. Firstly, I have found it rare for shops to stock the truly 'soft' amaretti that I prefer. Secondly, when I have chanced to happen upon them, my delight has usually been dampened by the expensive price. 

So, when a friend made  some of these for me as a Christmas gift last year, I begged her to give me the recipe, in order to put an end to my amaretti embargo. You will need the following:

* 180g ground almonds

*120g caster sugar

* Grated zest of one lemon

*1/2 tsp natural almond extract

* 1 pinch of salt

* 2 egg whites

* 1 tbsp honey

* Flaked almonds for rolling

* Icing sugar for rolling

Firstly, preheat the oven to 160 degrees C and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

Grate the zest of one lemon and mix this together with the ground almonds, caster sugar, salt and almond extract. Rub the mixture together with your finger tips.

In a separate bowl, mix the egg whites and honey and whisk until soft peaks form, like so...

You will now need to combine both your wet and dry mixtures. Fold the wet into the dry with a large metal spoon until you get a paste.

Roll the paste into small round balls of about 20grams in weight. Roll each ball on a plate of flaked almonds and then a plate of icing sugar.

Place the amaretti on the tray lined with greaseproof paper and bake for 12-16 minutes in the oven.

When you remove the amaretti from the oven they should be a light golden colour and still be chewy on the inside. This may take a bit of experimentation to perfect - my first attempt were browned on the base, although still tasted delicious.

Enjoy!

Belated Lammas Blessings

 One of the things I love most about living in the countryside is that you can see the seasons changing, almost moment by moment, everywhere around you. 

This field was crammed full of wheat when I walked through it a couple of weeks ago.

On Sunday, there was not a grain in sight: it had all been harvested.

August 1st, although called by different names according to different traditions and cultures, is known to myself and many others here in England as Lammas. This comes from the phrase 'loaf mass' in reference to the first wheat harvest. By baking and breaking bread, on this day we celebrate the success of the crops.

This year I celebrated Lammas day with a family feast and a long walk, enjoying the blessings of the land, the sun and the food they provide. 

I hope you all enjoyed yours. 

Blessing Moon

July's full moon is often referred to as the Blessing Moon and it  falls within the season of our early harvests. For this, along with the symbolic harvests within our lives, we count our blessings at this time. 

Back in March, I wrote about the Storm Moon which marked the perfect time of year for inviting new influences into one's life: I particularly focussed my ritual on reaffirming my desire to make more time for a return to the creative practices of  illustration and writing. 

Hopefully these little delvings into my sketch book will show that towards tonight's Blessing Moon I will be directing thanks for the inspiration and guidance to make this seed of intention come into fruition.

We also sometimes refer to July's full moon as the Meadow Moon or 'Wort' Moon. The word 'wort' comes from the Old English 'wyrt' meaning 'plant' and is most frequently associated with herbs. 

This time of year is perfect for harvesting herbs. They have been growing in abundance over the past few months and those which flower are likely to have done so already.

Designing a ritual today around the gathering of herbs would be the perfect way to celebrate and channel the energy of July's full moon. Those which you harvest can be dried and will hopefully last through the winter.

As this year's July moon falls in Aquarius, it is heavily influenced by the Aquarian attributes of innovation, inspiration and the expanding of the mind. If you have not yet learned the healing and culinary properties of the herbs you are gathering, you could begin doing so today, making a note of what you learn. Many garden herbs make nourishing teas, so perhaps you could experiment with some infusions, and begin keeping a journal of the flavours and qualities of each. 

However you choose to spend your days and evenings, full moon blessings go to all of you.