Friday evening in November

It seemed so warm and cosy this evening, as I looked around the house. I felt very contented just being there.

A few last minute chocolate chip cookies (quite well done) cooling beside my Autumn candle, lit for dinner.



James playing a game in front of the fire. Robbie the dog sneaking in hoping to find a space on the hearth rug.


One of my favourite views - the conservatory and kitchen all bright, glowing and inviting. Picture taken on the way back from shutting the hens up for the night.
I love November :)

Gift of Jewels -

I received my Gift of Jewels in the post on Saturday morning. It was so exciting to go to the letter box and see the bright yellow hand addressed envelope, covered in airmail stickers lying on the mat. I tore it open and some bright photocards tumbled out, just like a shower of jewels. They were various scenes; two indoor still life pictures- glowing and warm, a cool shot of long feathery grasses and a sepia print of a patch of ethereal pale flowers. The card itself was an image of gem like colouring pencils with beautiful words penned inside.

Life is rich
Beauty is everywhere
Every personal connection has meaning and
laughter is life's sweetest creation.

Thank you so much Margie. I simply loved this gift and I am so pleased to have met you.
Margie and her sister Kath share a fantastic blog www.soeursdujour.com She lives in Canada - just 5 miles away from where my own sister lives! So - you are right Margie - every personal connection does have meaning.

Thank you again - and many thanks also to Se'Lah for organising the Gift of Jewels project. What joy and love has spread around the world from your wonderful idea.

Shadow Shot Sunday - after the shopping

We have to travel about 10 miles to get to our nearest wholefoods shop, but we don't mind because it is in the lovely historical town of Linlithgow. After our shopping we did some touristy things, so come and join us.

First stop is our favourite organic cafe next door to the shop. James always has an apple juice and a giant freshly baked chocolate chip shortcake, while I just have a plain water (haha). I love how someone's shadow is reflected in the back of the perspex chair.

Then we head up to the Palace - birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots.

A rather blurred shot of the Palace entrance, but I liked the shadow here.

Down to the lochside to visit the swans.

And then a good run around under the trees.

Window shop for more shadows at Shadow Shot Sunday.

Shadow Shot Sunday - Gala Day Parade

Today was our local Gala Day Parade. Schools, organisations and businesses and individuals come together and enter decorated floats, or dress up and walk around the town accompanied by various bands. This year's theme was Homecoming Scotland 2009.

Here are two Scots boys, my younger son and my grandson, waiting impatiently on the parade to start - flags at the ready

First came a man selling balloons...

...then the Gala Queen's carriage...

A brass band...

...and a pipe band (of course).

Then I looked across the road and saw this...

Our old picture house, now a community theatre and arts venue.

Hope you enjoyed my shadow parade. See lots more Shadow Shots at Hey Harriet.

Shadow Shot Sunday

Inspired by some of the beautiful blogs I follow, I have decided to improve my photography skills. I have been trying to adopt a different way of seeing things, rather than just mindlessly point and shoot,usually cutting heads off or including overflowing rubbish bins and passers by in my picture. I saw this meme on Sunnymama's blog and liked the idea of shadows. So here is my first offering. These are pictures of our ancient garage. We inherited it when we moved into the house and my husband reckons it dates from the 1930s, just after the house was built. It is constructed from - shock - horror - corrugated asbestos! We have been assured by asbestos experts that it is perfectly safe, so it is still here in it's red oxide glory.










Check out Shadow Shot Sunday for more shadow play.

Springing along.

Well - a fairly murky photograph of our evolving Spring Table. Maybe I should have taken the picture in dayight - lol - still, I feel if wouldn't really be my blog without the bad photography. The paintings at the back are actually very springlike wet on wet watercolours done by James and myself in bright yellow and blue - what a nice relaxing way to paint - especially for someone as artistically challenged as your blogger here. The hand-decorated pot contains sunflower seedlings and was a Mother's Day present from my elder daughter, and I am trying to force a branch of flowering cherry in green vase (which i've just realised is not actually visible). There is a handknitted piglet - or as James calls it - the peeeeg, a little nutbrown hare, and what was supposed to be a pom-pom Easter Bunny, but somehow turned out more like - as my Dad quipped - the Easter Cairn Terrier! Well - why not start our own tradition?:) A basket of blown eggs that we have not got round to decorating yet, a couple of fluffy chicks, two hen shaped candles and the Gerda Muller Spring book completes the tableau so far. It is my intention to make some flower fairy type figures, and I do have the beads and felt, but somehow I feel this project slipping away.....
The weather has been so good we have not really spent much time in the house over the last week - especially with John being on holiday, so most of the happenings will be posted on the gardening blog in the next day or so.
Edited next day to add another picture of the spring table - this time in spring sunshine (still a bad photo lol). Elder son has a history tutor who comes on a Monday - as he was leaving he cried - "Oh its a shrine to Easter!" Hmmm..