Mating season

I fear it is upon us. Can anyone tell me if there is any truth in the rumour that conkers around the home repel spiders?

Funky fungi

South Lakes Wild Animal Park

Miles helped hand feed the giraffes before visiting the other animals. As ever we had a great time at South Lakes Wild Animal Park last week. We were looking more closely at some of the issues affecting the Sumatran tiger today after listening to a talk at the park. My head has been spinning with the pros and cons of palm oil. It certainly is difficult to weigh up all of the relevant considerations. Deforestation to plant palms is causing mega problems, but then of course there is the off set of cheap food in a world with poverty, bio fuel benefits etc.

Room with a view

We've been away for a few days to celebrate Nana's birthday. The view from our room was breath taking.

I suspect the lawns man let out a silent scream when Miles took to the croquet lawn with his mallet.

The hills were alive with cascading streams following a few wet days prior to our arrival. My heart was in my mouth but I had to let them experience the joy of clambering the falls, (small ones not large ones I hasten to add!), and thankfully there were no slips or trips.

It was Nana's first trip here, to one of my regular haunts.

I think she loved it as much as I do. I hope she did. I certainly enjoyed sharing it with her.

Christmas is coming...

Pantomime tickets booked, festive classical concert booked, next years diary on order, Christmas workshops organised for home ed group, Goodness, I've never been this organised!

Day O Day O

Daylight come and me wanna go home!!!

I got to join in at Hermione's steel pan session tonight. Yay! I can play The Banana Boat Song on the steel pans!

Harvest fun

Since I had some well out of date flour, (over enthusiasm with the wholefood order a couple of years ago), I agreed to this rather messy game which involved cutting away a slice of flour mound without making the plum on top fall. Good fun but best played outdoors - as I discovered once the kitchen was full of flour!

One thing lead to another and soon there was a flour fight in the garden - children with stony white faces all round!

Bobbing for apples in a bowl of water and catching them on a string.

Harvest horse

Harvest horse in the making. He looked lovely with his tail and mane but I didn't manage to capture him fully formed before someone ate him!

Love, laughter and happy ever after

What a week! It's been a real roller coaster ride. We've had some time at home which was just what I needed. We made chutney and Elderberry and Almond Tart. The tart is delicious.

We have spent two days playing in woodland and by babbling brooks with friends new and old. I so enjoyed the fuzzy warmth of the company and the warmth in the changing leaves. The children even managed to appear warm despite stripping off to play in the brook!

My chooks are really enjoying the autumn berries. They're little rascals really. We have had no raspberries from our canes this summer because they like them so much that they flutter up to pick them.

Thankfully the blackberries are out of the chook's reach - they're not however out of Miles' reach, so that still means I get none!

Gathering elderberries for our tart.

I spent *grown up time* with a friend who is travelling a really difficult path right now. My heart is going out to her. I feel very saddened that her problems aren't ones which I can help to solve. If you can, please spare a moment to think of all the mamas out there, particularly those with very young children, who are being forced to contemplate their own mortality right now.

Also, I think I have mentioned in recent months that I have been having MRI scans and other investigations. I can't recall whether or not I told you that it was suspected I had Multiple Sclerosis? Well, I'm pleased to say that my neuro surgeon has finally arrived at a diagnosis, (thank goodness because I just couldn't cope with more MRI's or being pricked all over with pins!) and it's NOT Multiple Sclerosis! I'm going to be having lots of treatment to reinstate greater movement and sensation in the right upper quadrant of my body. Sounds quite intensive and the prognosis isn't great - but hey, I don't mind, earlier this week I thought I could have something a whole lot worse!

Hermione has discovered my old roller boots in the attic and has spent today skating up and down the deck, with I would say roughly a 60/40 split as to time on her feet and her bottom. You've got to love girl's determination. There's no physical activity she won't master if she puts her mind to it.

I've also been busy this week organising further home ed trips to Durham Cathedral and I've also been chatting with friends about possibly organising a little group to play social skills games. I'm just learning about these games and have to say that so far I think they sound really good. we often play things like Ungame at home but this feels like a step further, playing similar games with people outside of our family unit.

Day at home making chutney

We spent a much needed day at home yesterday. We collected windfall apples and plums from the garden, added them to our courgette glut and under ripe pumpkins to make two huge pans of chutney.

I'm a bit slap dash in this kind of cooking and the results can never be known, but as luck would have it it tastes really good - and will only get better!

Technology neanderthal needing guidance

I think I would like a kindle (upon the basis that I love reading) but I'm not really sure what it does, how easy it is to work, if it causes eye strain etc etc...I know you can read write ups and reviews but they are usually written by people trying to sell these things. Can someone with no vested interest tell me what they think of it? Thank you.

Last beach day of the summer?

We arrived and the children dove straight on in.

I like jelly fish. I think that by and large they are beautiful. This fella looked very much like he had been beaten with the ugly stick though. He also looked like he had a seriously large brain or intestine (my jelly fish anatomy ain't' good).

Come on Craig, I'm getting blown away here!

Camp was finally set up.

Didn't take long before Hermione headed on out with her body board. Unfortunately she didn't get long because the tide was on the turn and we called time.

I relented and let him into my pashmina for a big snuggle - even though he was soaking wet and sandy.

Watching the tide roll away and all that.

Big boat, little boat.

Doubt there'll be many more beach days this summer. We would have been hard pushed to hang around for the day without the windbreak, even now. Miles feels the cold and spent much of the time snuggled in my pashmina, watching the boats. There's just Hermione who doesn't feel the cold at all. Perhaps we'll all just sit in the car and watch her next time *grin*.

Fun with fabric paints

Panning for gold

I watched the children pan for gold yesterday. Well, perhaps I should say I watched the children splash around in troughs of gravel for bits which were painted gold.

This got me thinking, does the search ever end? Is it natural to spend life searching or is it just me? Can I be truly happy yet always searching? What am I searching for?

I'm not looking for the holy grail, riches or fame. I'm looking for a path I'm happy to tread, a guide when I loose my way, the bigger picture, the smaller picture, strong arms to hold me, fuzzy babes with sticky kisses...

So, are contentment and searching mutually exclusive? No way. I don't search to be whole. I search to grow, expand and be all that I can.

Go right on searching babes. It's good for the soul.