James and I went to Butterfly and Insect World near Edinburgh earlier this week. Here are a couple of shots from our visit.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Decluttering
We have too much stuff in our house. I keep saying that the house is not big enough for a family of 5, but I know that if we could downsize the amount of unnecessary stuff we have then we would have room for another family! We always feel so much better when the house has been decluttered - you can sense the chi whizzing around, reaching places it has not been able to get to for so long. This state of lightness does not last too long, sadly. However hard we try - however many times we vow 'never to buy anything new unless we really need it, have thought about it for 3 days and have taken something to the charity shop to keep the balance' - stuff creeps back in.No more! Things are changing. Over the next few weeks this house will be systematically decluttered. This is happening and I feel so much better knowing it. We are gong to sell some stuff at a car boot sale, ebay a couple of things, freecycle some and charity shop the majority of things.
To start of we have the help of the wonderful Kristine, who, apart from having the same name as my younger daughter, hosts Throwaway Thursday on her blog. the challenge is to grab a bin bag, set a timer for 30 minutes and throw clutter into the bag. Kristine (my daughter) and I took up this challenge today - focusing on clothes. We were absolutely ruthless - any item we found ourselves thinking - "well... I might wear that again..." had to be firmly thrown out. We were very pleased with ourselves and both bags are destined for the Salvation Army shop in the next town. I feel so light I might even fly there.
Monday, June 15, 2009
I see the moon!
Well - a boy was not tired the other night so we all went for a late night walk. James had to take his very powerful binoculars in case the moon came out.
Book Sharing Monday (viii)
Our choice for Book sharing Monday today is a well read favourite here. Saturday with Mez, by Lauren Serafin, Jason Rohrer and Mez. A beautifully photographed and hand bound board book, with simple text this tells the story of a day in the life of Mez, a nursing toddler.
Gorgeous black and white images photographed in natural light take us through Mez's morning - breakfast, dressing, shopping, eating, napping, going on a cycle ride and sleeping - oh and breast feeding. This is James's favourite page - we can look at this for ages and ages.
They stop to say hello
to a dog named Buddy
to a dog named Buddy
I am often very grateful to this book. When a sleepy boy is not keen to go to bed, and wants 'one more story' this one often does the trick - it seems to remind him of something he might like to do :)
Happy Book Sharing Monday. Visit Alex's blog to see more.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
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.
A rather blurred shot of the Palace entrance, but I liked the shadow here.
Down to the lochside to visit the swans.
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.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Coincidence
After my wandering post yesterday, my Dad told me about this today. Needless to say I am most unhappy.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Ambivalence.
A few hundred yards aways from our house, a new railway station is being built. A rail link, closed in the late 1950s, is being reinstated, affording us direct access to both Glasgow and Edinburgh by train.
The work is really intensive right now,with the construction of the station, the car park, and all the attendant bits of concrete laying that seem to go on with such projects. James is in his element and he likes nothing better than to go to the farm road adjacent to the site and watch the diggers do their stuff - and there are some seriously heavy duty pieces of equipment trundling up and down our road. A sign informs us that the first train will depart in December 2010.
Now - this is a good thing. It's what we all want - a decent public transport infrastructure - taking polluting cars off the road - connecting communities, more opportunity for all. Not to mention the knock on effect of elevating the house prices in the area. We will live within easy walking distance of the station, 20 -30 minutes until we are in the centre of either of our two major cities.
But... we are losing too. The redundant railway had become a much used and loved cycle path and walkway. A wildlife haven and just a place to escape. Setting out for a walk we would decide which way to go - east or west - always reminding me of Proust's dilemma - the Guermantes way or the way by Swann's. West was always better in the summer and winter - the territory was open, the skies huge, and the verges covered in wildflowers. Spring and autumn was the time to head east. Long sweeping avenues of beech trees, fields of baby lambs, or silent sheep, blackberries and rosehips were the treasures to be found there. Artworks were dotted along the way, - it was sad to see one of them dumped and broken at the back of the site huts.
I walked here most days during my pregnancy with James - normally towards the west, as my favourite tree was there, and I would touch it's trunk and talk to it. The morning that I discovered I was expecting a baby and the age of 45, I met 4 magpies on the trail. My husband's tree was on the eastern path - an old beech that looked like Treebeard from the Lord of the Rings. Walking with James - either in the buggy, or the sling was an almost daily pleasure. We threw autumn leaves in the air and tried to catch them, played inside the hollow tree, listened to the music of thewind rattling the broom seedpods, watched a hairy caterpillar cross the path in front of us, and played for hours in a flooded low lying section. All this is gone, save the memories; the trees cut down, the water drained, the wildlife concreted over. Our paradise is being paved.
Network rail have pledged to reinstate the cycle path, but it will run alongside the railway. Until then we have to find other places to wander. I know I will use the new rail service, and I will say how great it is to be so close to the station, two great cities on my doorstep - and it will be. But it won't compare with sunny days spent splashing around with a laughing boy.
.
The work is really intensive right now,with the construction of the station, the car park, and all the attendant bits of concrete laying that seem to go on with such projects. James is in his element and he likes nothing better than to go to the farm road adjacent to the site and watch the diggers do their stuff - and there are some seriously heavy duty pieces of equipment trundling up and down our road. A sign informs us that the first train will depart in December 2010.
Now - this is a good thing. It's what we all want - a decent public transport infrastructure - taking polluting cars off the road - connecting communities, more opportunity for all. Not to mention the knock on effect of elevating the house prices in the area. We will live within easy walking distance of the station, 20 -30 minutes until we are in the centre of either of our two major cities.
But... we are losing too. The redundant railway had become a much used and loved cycle path and walkway. A wildlife haven and just a place to escape. Setting out for a walk we would decide which way to go - east or west - always reminding me of Proust's dilemma - the Guermantes way or the way by Swann's. West was always better in the summer and winter - the territory was open, the skies huge, and the verges covered in wildflowers. Spring and autumn was the time to head east. Long sweeping avenues of beech trees, fields of baby lambs, or silent sheep, blackberries and rosehips were the treasures to be found there. Artworks were dotted along the way, - it was sad to see one of them dumped and broken at the back of the site huts.
I walked here most days during my pregnancy with James - normally towards the west, as my favourite tree was there, and I would touch it's trunk and talk to it. The morning that I discovered I was expecting a baby and the age of 45, I met 4 magpies on the trail. My husband's tree was on the eastern path - an old beech that looked like Treebeard from the Lord of the Rings. Walking with James - either in the buggy, or the sling was an almost daily pleasure. We threw autumn leaves in the air and tried to catch them, played inside the hollow tree, listened to the music of thewind rattling the broom seedpods, watched a hairy caterpillar cross the path in front of us, and played for hours in a flooded low lying section. All this is gone, save the memories; the trees cut down, the water drained, the wildlife concreted over. Our paradise is being paved.Network rail have pledged to reinstate the cycle path, but it will run alongside the railway. Until then we have to find other places to wander. I know I will use the new rail service, and I will say how great it is to be so close to the station, two great cities on my doorstep - and it will be. But it won't compare with sunny days spent splashing around with a laughing boy.
.
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