Friday, early January

It’s chilly out there.  Snow is threatened, but for now, we can’t really think that it’s going to happen soon.  But we are at home and enjoying the opportunity to catch up and tick one or two things off our lists.

I can’t believe that two of the four bulbs I set on the pebbles on Boxing Day are already a foot high and flowering.  The other two are beginning to think about following on, but for now, are simply putting down one or two roots.  Those flowers smell divine.

Actually, they’ve got competition.  Seeing a bunch of these pretty yellow narcissi in the supermarket for a couple of pounds, I brought them home for the windowsill, to stand beside the pussy willow I’d already put in my trolley.

I usually have a vase of willow twigs at this time of the year and enjoy watching the green shoots appear from those little furry pods over a few weeks.

Oh, and I couldn’t resist the colour of the anemones, so reminiscent of my grandmother and another seasonal favourite.  A few Spring flowers around then, to fill the gaps left by the Christmas tree and all the other paraphernalia.

Mind you, there are still a few heaps of things here and there, including this lovely pile of Christmas books and cards, just waiting for a quiet hour or two to savour them.  I enjoy reading through the Christmas cards again, now the hoohah is all over; it’s a pleasing way to spend a sunny afternoon in the garden room.

But actually, there’s a pile of ephemera from our recent trip there, waiting to be sorted and I must do that before I leave it any longer.

I worked with some of it yesterday.  What you see is part of a page of pockets which allow me to tuck in all kinds of bits and pieces and keep it all together in a folder.

I’ve done half of our trip and just need to complete the other half now, over the page in the next week.  I’ve been putting these double page spreads together since the beginning of October, actually, with a view to moving on from my “photo a day”.  It’s working fairly well, though I’m still developing my style and working out the best approach which makes it worthwhile but manageable.  Though I began with a “Project Life” set up, I’m happier working it out for myself and especially enjoy the opportunity to be able to include all the bits and pieces I like to gather in addition to an –almost – daily photo.

So, this will replace my “photo of the day” here.  For a while, I’ve been looking to move on from that and considering a different way of recording the everyday goings on around here.  I began the page pockets thinking that it could become the means of doing that and am happy with the results so far.  After five years, I felt the daily photograph was becoming more of a habit than anything else and that it had reached a natural conclusion. 

In the meantime, I have a search on my hands.  One small bear from the Home for Retired Bears in Darkest Peru appears to have lost her hat.  I’m not sure Paddington’s dressing gown is very secure without a cord, too.

Priorities, eh?

Comments

[Lesley]

I used the link to Paddington's site and on from there to Robertson's and now have some nice recipes using marmalade and honey. Funny how one gets happily sidetracked! Thank you.

[Paulene]

Like the look of your Christmas books.