Little Altars at Home

Anyone who has been reading this blog for a while will know how much I loathe housework, but these are strange times! Today found me actually wanting to give the bathroom a thorough going over!

As I was putting things back on the windowsill, I realised that every item has a special memory or significance to me.

Left to right:

There is an Umbrella plant, that I grew from a root cutting given to me by a dear friend who I see only rarely nowadays. She is currently staying somewhere in deepest India, unable to return home due to the transport system in that country being under lockdown. The glass bowl it sits in, has been with me since I got married in 1972, nothing special, not beautiful, but it has become an old familiar friend.

In a little pot next to it are some honeysuckle cuttings, waiting to see if they grow roots, so that I can give some little plants to my daughter as requested.

The fish shaped little dish holds a bumble bee that sadly died in my bathroom, I know Little Miss M (7) would love to see it, so I am keeping it for when she is able to come into my house again.

The clay dolphin was made by Miss E when she was about 8. I took her to some wonderful sculpture and stone-carving worshops when she was being homeschooled.

I bought the brass incense burner with the Ohm symbol when I was travelling in 1994 and visiting Buddhist communities all round the world – such powerful memories. It reminds me of chanting in the echoing valleys of the Himalaya Mountains.

The scallop shell was given to me by my neighbour, who is a diver, and brings me yummy scallops in the summer. The shells it holds all come from the beaches of my beloved Pembrokeshire, collected on my month in a treehouse by the sea.

Sea glass, collected on my local beaches, in times gone by.

A collection of tiny white pebbles – there is something so beautiful about them.

The twisted piece of wire with beads: this was a spiral Christmas decoration I had been making with my grandchildren

One of them sat in the bathroom, and after the twins came to stay – I found this one had been just too tempting to resist – I rather like the resulting tiny wire sculpture.

The jam jar has more honeysuckle cuttings,

and the shell on the right was given to me by my Mum when I was a teenager.

A whole lot of family, friends and memories on that tiny windowsill.

Do you have similar little collections about the house?

Silent Sunday

Creation

~

pets no more

children fill my days

playfully

~

The photograph is of my son holding his newborn twin daughters.

This week’s Photo Challenge prompt: CREATION

There are many wonders in all creation but the mystery, magic and miracle of birth sums it up for me.

Also entering Ronovan’s Weekly Haiku challenge. His prompt words are PET and PLAY.

For most of my life I have had dogs and cats as pets but the last one died just before moving house in 2005, life got busy, grandchildren came along. I sometimes miss the company of animals, but enjoy the freedom without them nowadays.

I have nicknamed this combo of the two challenges a Phaiku – have a go!

Please leave a link to your ‘Creation’ Photo or Phaiku in the comments.

Next weeks prompt is WRAP 

Also joining in with Cee’s Black and White Challenge: Made by Human Beings – couldn’t resist!

Now drum roll please!

Here is our new Photo Challenge List for 2017. It has been an absolute joy to compile the 2017 list with Cathy for your inspiration and delight.

Thanks go to Cathy, Rainbow Jane and Melissa for the 2016 list – it has been a great year – just 3 more weeks to go! I don’t think Cathy, Jane or I have missed a week – quite an achievement and so wonderful to have been doing this together. Melissa had so many other priorities to attend to but joined us when she could. It was Melissa who introduced me to the idea of the ‘Phaiku’.

Thanks also go to YOU for all your wonderful entries – it is always a delight to see the variety of the interpretations for each word. Long may it continue!

We’d LOVE you to join us in 2017.

Ta Dah!

A huge thank you to RainbowJ for the graphics.

Feel free to copy this list to keep to hand – I pop mine in my camera case.

A few changes to note for 2017:

1. The day for the start of the Challenge will be each Tuesday.
2. Please leave a link in the comments on this blog, Wild Daffodil, so that the entries are all together and we can visit each entry easily.
3. This list for 2017 has been compiled by Cathy and Sandra.
4. The name of the challenge has changed to ‘One-a-Week’.
5. If you feel inspired to create a haiku to go with the photo you can find prompt words on Ronovan Writes each Monday.
6. You don’t have to post every week, just join in when you like.
7. Choose current, recent or archive photos and posts to link to.
8. Have fun!

and as Cathy always says HAPPY SNAPPING! 😉

 

Photo Challenge Round-Up: Strength

tightly held

strong hand from above

gives support

~

Jane at Rainbow Junkie……. …………… …… …….hurray for strong sons

Cathy at Nanacathy…….. ……. ……….. …… …….so much strength in this picture

💜 me at Wild Daffodil……… ……… ……….. ……RSJ

💜 Melissa at The Aran Artisan ……………… ……beauty

💜 Jen at Letthesewingbegin ……………………. …..Welsh spirit

💜 Denis at Haiku Hound…….. ……….. ………..crashing waves

Christina at A Look at the Little Things ……. …standing together

Dorris at Dig With Dorris ………. ………… …….kapow! red!

 

The 💜 denotes a post that is also joining in with Ronovan’s Haiku Challenge – it’s fun to combine the two.

Please let me know if I have missed anyone

Thank you everyone for your extremely STRONG entries this week

Four fab photo fiends created the 52 Week Photo Challenge, we are:

• Cathy from Nanacathydotcom
• Jane from Rainbowjunkiecorner
• Melissa from The Aran Artisan
• Sandra from Wild Daffodil

As far as we know it is the only photo challenge which gives you 52 weeks of subjects set out for you in advance. Click here to see them all.

We’d love you to join in any time you fancy

Why not dive in with the next prompt

WATER

Photo Challenge Round-Up: Zest

This painting shrieks ZEST to me!

paint squirted

happy shouts of glee

create art

~

Jane at Rainbow Junkie……. …………… ……St. Clements

Cathy at Nanacathy…….. ……. ……….. …….Search

 me at Wild Daffodil……… ……… ……….   Degree

💜 Denis at Haiku Hound…….. ……….. …… blossoms

Christina at A Look at the Little Things ……. …Dad

Del at CurlsnSkirls ……………………………mmmm  chocolate

Dorris at Dig With Dorris ……………………. Abundance

 

The  denotes a post that is also joining in with Ronovan’s Haiku Challenge – it’s fun to combine the two.

Please let me know if I have missed anyone

Thank you everyone for your entries all so full of ZEST

Four fab photo fiends created the 52 Week Photo Challenge, we are:

• Cathy from Nanacathydotcom
• Jane from Rainbowjunkiecorner
• Melissa from The Aran Artisan
• Sandra from Wild Daffodil

 

Next photo prompt is

STRENGTH

Frozen

Little Miss M has just had a ‘Frozen’ birthday party for which my daughter made her a fabulous cake – yes that is the cake disguised as ‘Elsa’s dress.

and Granny and the children made a frozen ice-bowl using flowers and raspberries from the garden and filled with watermelon and strawberries.

I have done a few of these over the years for different parties, sometimes filling with a fruit punch, sometimes with a fresh fruit cocktail.

This one started on the 28th May with a layer of primroses, thyme and Sweet Cicely laid on top of about a centimetre of ice in the bottom of a large plastic bowl

I only add edible flowers.

The children then gathered some mint leaves, marigold flowers and wild strawberry flowers

We put the pink bowl in the middle and weighted it down then poured more water round the sides, about another centimetre. The flowers were added and it went back in the freezer.

As I was a bit low on flowers from the garden (borage, nasturtiums  and rose petals look great) I added raspberries in layers and when it was full removed the pink bowl from the centre and we used the bowl for a picnic in the garden.

Then back in the freezer so that I could use again for Little miss M’s party

I experimented with using a layer of pomegranate juice and added edible glitter.

Now out of the large plastic bowl, it sat out for about 4 hours and hardly melted at all, so it has gone back in the freezer to use again later in the summer.

You can see loads of other examples of other peoples ice-bowls on Pinterest. It seems the ice stays clearer if the water is boiled first, and maybe it would have looked better set on an ice plinth……. next time.

Zest

sing praises

give flowers and champagne

sweet success

~

I had the huge pleasure of celebrating my sister’s graduation last week – she has just got a degree in Homeopathy – her first degree at 60! showing her characteristic zest for life! Well done Sue!

Joining in with our 52 Week Photo Challenge

and

Ronovan’s weekly Haiku Challenge, prompt words SING and FLOWER

sing praises, give flowers and champagne

give flowers and champagne, sweet success

~

If you have a ‘Zest’ photo in your archives just add a link in the comments, we’d love to see it!

Have a week full of ZEST!

~

Next week’s Photo Prompt

STRENGTH

Photo Challenge Round-Up: PLAY

A duvet cover

charity shop buy

makes perfect play mat

~

PLAYful entries this week

Jane at Rainbow Junkie……. …………… ……keep calm

Cathy at Nanacathy…….. ……. ……….. ……bracing

 me at Wild Daffodil……… ……… ………. beading

💜 Denis at Haiku Hound…….. ………shaggy dog story

Christina A Look at the Little Things ……. …..action

Del at CurlsnSkirls……………………….. …..new toys

Dorris at Dig With Dorris………………………….spin

The  denotes a post that is also joining in with Ronovan’s Haiku Challenge – it’s fun to combine the two.

Please let me know if I have missed anyone

Thank you everyone for playing along this week.

Four fab photo fiends enjoyed creating the 52 Week Photo Challenge, we are:

• Cathy from Nanacathydotcom
• Jane from Rainbowjunkiecorner
• Melissa from The Aran Artisan
• Sandra from Wild Daffodil

 

Haiku and Haibun writers might be interested in this Quarterly Magazine Contemporary Haibun Online which I have just been introduced to via Work in Progress, who had one of her Haibun accepted for the July edition. Congratulations Mek!

Next Photo Prompt

is

REPEAT

We are half way through the year!

Time for a little review – how do you like the Challenge? Are there any improvements we can make. What do you like? What could be better?

Please leave suggestions in the comments, especially if you are tempted to join in but there is something you don’t understand or something is putting you off.

Here are all the subjects we’ve covered and all those still to come.

Thank you to Rainbow Jane for designing the list so beautifully.

And as NanaCathy says ‘Happy Snapping’

Birthday Blanket

Miss E’s design is coming to life. The daisy squares have been added

The edging done

Only the daisies to sew on in the centre.

I’m hopeful it will be finished in time for her birthday.

Joining in with Ginny’s Yarn Along.

In a Vase: White

Cathy, of Rambling in the Garden, has been inspired by Christina, of My Hesperides Garden  this week and is celebrating blogging friendship with a vase full of beautiful white flowers from her garden – which in turn has inspired my vase.

This little white jug has Tiarella Sky Rocket, a self seeded white lavender, saxifrage and erigeron.

The props are some crocheted daisies ready to adorn a blanket for Miss E. I started this way back in April last year, doing the many squares for the border has halted the process, but it is her birthday coming up and I really want to finish the blanket in time.

Here it is without a border

and here is the border in progress with daisies arranged by Miss E

40 squares and 12 daisies and so many ends to sew in!

I am also creating a pattern for the blanket so that if I ever did want to make one again (?!) I will have the instructions to hand. This will be available as a free pattern for anyone else who would like to give it a go.

White flowers are my favourite and despite the heavy rain this morning I managed to find some in the garden for another vase

In the vase on the left there is feverfew, astrantia, and a perennial white wallflower with a gorgeous scent, especially at dusk.

The vases are sitting amongst the pot plants: a white orchid,

Streptocarpus Rhiannon

and Streptocarpus Myfanwy

Do pop on over to see Cathy’s vase and all the others that come pouring in from all over the world always lifting a Monday with beauty.

Also joining in with Cee’s Flower of the Day.

Happy Monday!

Update: Some photos of the plant which I think is a perennial white wallflower

Am I right?

Three Things Thursday

Inspired by Mrs Snail’s post in which she is responding to  Nerd in the Brain who invites us to post about 3 things we are grateful for:

I was listening to a BBC Radio 4 Programme which is part of a marvellous series entitled “A Portrait Of…”

The artist Fiona Graham-Mackay is painting a series of portraits, in this programme her sitter was Imtiaz Dharker a multi-talented artist. I don’t know exactly what it was about the programme that lit a spark of inspiration in me but this poem popped out onto the page and I would like to share it with you …..

~

The Family Together

in my children

I see my departed husband

they are his age now

mostly I see the parts of him I loved

his profile, his smile, his thoughtful frown, his humour

and charisma, yes charisma

rarely do I wince at a difficult memory

thankfully very rarely

he is not here to share our grandchildren

in them I see mainly me

not him – not yet

in photos, their blond curls

seem to match the pepper and salt of my used-to-be dark auburn hair

people say they look like me

some with blue eyes

some with brown and one with green

in them I feel a joyful energetic future

I sit at a tipping point

as my mother lies dying

I watch and wonder how will dying be for me

how will it be for my children to see my decline

will sparkly threads of happy memories

cheer us through those days

the afterlife

solely

yes soul-ly

within the hearts of others

© Sandra Dorey 14.June.16

This poem is packed with things I am grateful for, my children, my grandchildren, the fact that I have lived through some tricky times and can truly enjoy this calmer aftermath; and although my relationship with my Mum has not always been easy, I am grateful that I have had her through my life, when so many of my friends have not had their Mums around. I’m enjoying this precious time immensely and daily give thanks for that.

As Mrs Snail says “Let’s share the love”!

~

Layer

mossy layers invite

tiny dragons to lay eggs

deep in our psyche

~

A response to Our Photo Challenge prompt: LAYER

And Ronovan’s Weekly Haiku Challenge prompts: DRAGON and INVITE

With Miss E as a guest prompter this week – so exciting!

It has been wonderful for me to read all the intriguing haiku that have been created around these words – Miss E will be so thrilled and encouraged – can’t wait til tomorrow when we can read them all together.

A huge thank you to Ronovan for giving her this marvellous opportunity and experience.

The Haiku

mossy layers invite tiny dragons to lay eggs

tiny dragons to lay eggs deep in our psyche

I am a Scorpio Dragon myself – there is a fascinating post by ‘Work in Progress’ if you are interested in this sort of thing.

A bit stuck this week, I went through my photos and found this photo of a wall in Gloucestershire I took in 2010 and then it all came together.

To join in just leave a link to your LAYER photo in the comments on Cathy’s Post, or here, and I will include it in the round up on Sunday.

Next Week’s Photo Prompt

FERN

~

Vase on Monday: Primrose Day

Big Sister is 6 on Primrose Day, tomorrow. So in her honour I have decorated a cardboard letter and filled little vases with primroses, pulmonaria and forget-me-nots.

First I painted the A in deep pink acrylic paint..

when the paint was dry I painted the top and sides with Decoupage Medium, and laid the patterned layer of a napkin over the A. It works just as well with PVA glue, although PVA might need a little thinning with water.

I painted over the top of the paper with the Medium.

and added some butterflies from another napkin.

Oh the softness of the primrose……….. mmmmmmm …….. they taste good too.

Primrose Day is the anniversary of the death of British statesman and prime minister Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, on 19 April 1881. The primrose was his favourite flower and Queen Victoria would often send him bunches of them from Windsor and Osborne House. She sent a wreath of primroses to his funeral.

Joining in with Today’s Flowers, Macro Monday, Cee’s Flower of the Day, and In a Vase on Monday

Upcycling for a 6 year old

It is Big Bro’s sixth birthday. I struggle with presents. Ethical thinking makes it a bit of a difficult road to navigate with young boys who love plastic and flashing lights and all things Star Wars or Superman.

The Village hall was having a clear out and these metal document cases were about to go in the skip – aaaaaaaarghhhh!!!!! NO! not more land fill. Surely I could put them to good use.

So with a bit of a clean and some trusty Duck Tape, I decorated some folders

hung them in the box

and after a good clean, added a bit of decoration on the outside.

I added a pen I bought for Big Bro from the Turner Gallery in Margate (thus supporting the arts)

which is also a screwdriver, spirit level and ruler.

Now that should be fine for a 6 year old boy shouldn’t it?!

I’m keeping the other metal document case for Little Bro’s 4th birthday in a couple of month’s time, because, if it is a success, I am guessing he will want one as well.

Never-Ending Cards

As part of my 16 for 2016 group of challenges I have given myself 15 greetings cards to make. On our half-term family holiday we had 5 birthdays to celebrate – a perfect inspirational push.

My son, E, became 40 during the holiday. (I have a 40 year old son! It doesn’t seem possible, it feels only 5minutes ago that I was 40), my sister became 60 in January, and her son was 20 just 2 days before E. So we had a 20, 40, 60 party, with my sister and her son staying with us and we were also joined by the parents of my two d-i-ls.

M and P, parents of my London d-i-l, share the same birthdays with E and my nephew.

You can see, my new go-to craft material, Duck tape, was put to good use again, I just love that stuff! Here is a link to my previous post about it:

Never-ending cards are fun to make, hugely impressive, well received but very hard to photograph.

You can see how to make them and how they work on this You Tube clip.

Update: I first wrote a post about these cards in Dec 13, here is the link.

Click here for another YouTube tutorial.

 

Stitch

child star quality

emerging in her own time

home education

~

Ronovan’s Haiku prompt words : STAR and CHILD

photo challenge prompt: STITCH

~

The photo is of my 8 year old granddaughter who comes to me each Wednesday as she is being educated at home. It is fabulous for me to see how she is blossoming as we are coming up to the one year anniversary.

~

My computer has finally died. I have to make some big decisions about where to go next. I do not find it easy blogging from the iPad, so I will probably be a little quiet for a few weeks, very frustrating!

Next week the photo prompt is

ZERO

~

Happy

~

twinkling like crystal

hope glistens in clear blue eyes

finding dark footprints

~

like crystal

eyes glistening with hope

find treasure

~

Our Photo Challenge prompt this week: HAPPY

click on Happy, to go to Photo Challenge page and find out all about it – we’d love you to join us!

So many things I could have photographed for this subject, but this sums up so many of the things that make me happy and my grandchildren(1) too. MissE (1a) comes to me one day a week(2) for Home Education(2a). We have such fun together(3). Last Wednesday, at last the sun shone(4) so we went for a walk (5), I grabbed magnifying glass as I went out of the door and Miss E immediately found all sorts of things to look at (6) : lichen, mud, leaves both back and front, gorse flowers , maize husk, acorn cup. Her delight (7) and enthusiasm (8) is always such a joy. We also found these deer prints(9) and then we were both excited to see badger prints(10) and tracked them to the hedge (11).

So you see this photograph is 13 ‘HAPPY’s in one .

joining in with Ronovan’s Haiku Challenge, prompt words CRYSTAL and HOPE

ps. My laptop crashed☹ and I am struggling to do this on an iPad 😫 I’m not finding it easy and it is taking ages!!!!

pps. I tried to link in other entries and got into a right old muddle on the iPad, so I will have to wait til my lovely laptop is all better. There seems to be a universal law of balance in operation here: HAPPY and FRUSTRATION see-sawing it’s way through my post. 😄 + 😬

Game

Photo prompt: GAME

A photo taken on Christmas Day. ‘Frustration’, the most popular game with the little ones this year.

Haiku prompt: VAST and CLEAR

~

vast jumble of games

all plastic and flashing lights

now cleared away – Phew!

~

“I’m so excited!” Tra la la La!!!!! this is the first week for our 52 week Photo Challenge! You don’t need to do every one of the 52 weeks, just join in when you want to. I like to combine the photo challenge with Ronovan’s Haiku Challenge – at first my heart sinks – I think – IMPOSSIBLE – and then somehow it all comes together – “it’s a kinda magic”, bits of songs keep whirling around in my head.

Euphoria has set in now that the whole Christmas thing is over and life can get back to normal. There’s even the promise of a bit of sunshine here today, that makes me very happy!

 🙂

Photo Challenge devised by Cathy, Jane, Melissa and Me

To find out more and see the list for the year go to the Photo Challenge Page.

Next week’s Prompt:

HAPPY

Smokey and the Blanket

This picture came in an email yesterday, along with this lovely message:

“Thought I’d share some more appreciaters of the blanket, everyone loves it!
We love the extra weight of it on our bed too, it’s super snugly as well as beautiful xx”

Seems the whole family loves that blanket.

‘Ickle’ on the right is an old-timer and a bit wary of the young virile Smokey, who joined the family just over a year ago as a kitten, and showed his love also for a crocheted blanket early on.

You can see my Ta Dah moment for this blanket here.

Cal9: Cosy Blanket. Ta Dah!

This blanket follows Lucy’s Cosy Stripe blanket Crochet Along (CAL), changing the colours slightly so that I could use what I already had. This really is a lovely pattern using Stylecraft Special DK. The way Lucy balances the colours is truly beautiful so I stuck as close as I could to her colour order. Her colours have an autumnal feel, mine are a bit more summery I think (my colour list is near the end of this post).

I started way back in ….. November 2014 – oh, so only just over a year! I thought it was longer!

In my last post about this blanket, I was still working out the edging. The edging was added as, halfway through making it, we (my daughter A and I) decided to change it from a throw for a single bed, to one for her double bed.

Laura on Ravelry, had used a border of African Flower Squares, (click on the link to find an excellent tutorial). It looked so pretty, so off I went, not quite realising how working out the colour sequences and lengths to fit, would turn this into such a marathon project.

I wanted to create a random sequence of flowers, set within the three different greens. I do make life complicated!

11 squares were needed for each short side (including one each at the corners) and 13 for each long side. 48 squares in all.

The easiest way to attach the squares was to join then in a long line first and then, sitting on a cushion on the floor, mattress stitch the line of squares to the edge of the blanket. I realise now that it would have been much better to have blocked the squares first – I was far too eager to see how they looked sewn together.

After sewing on the squares I did a row of single crochet (US) in the Lime green, making sure to keep the edges tight by not adding stitches at the seams between the squares

And this is how I worked round the corners:

Then after all that sewing, and working things out, and going around once to create a foundation for the outer border, I could relax into a few rows of speedy crochet before working the final edging.

Lucy’s edging seemed just a little bit too narrow for this size of blanket so I tried a larger variation so that A could choose which she liked the best

Lucy’s pattern goes horizontally across the top, my variation on the left.

A chose my adaptation (Let me know if you would like more details about how to do this edging). I wanted to finish in time for A’s birthday in October……

But ……. I didn’t.

I really enjoyed the feel of the weight of the blanket over my knees as I worked on the edging, such a relief to be making good progress, with the end in sight.

Then after a few more ends to sew in – just the signature heart needed in one corner …..

and

TaH DaH!

It was finished in time for Christmas!

 Hurray! Round of Applause! and Party Poppers!

What a relief! I feel a huge sense of achievement and it is SO great to have finished it. I haven’t managed to take a photo of it in situ yet, but A took this photo with her phone and emailed it to me. She absolutely loves it and it makes their room so cosy and bright.

It does look right at home in that log cabin!

~

Joining in with Ginny’s Yarn along

Book: ‘Heidi’ by Johanna Spyri, this was one of my favourites as a child, I read it to my daughter and I have just started to read it to Miss E. Such Joy!

~

Here follows the nitty-gritty of how to make the bedspread:

The width was the same a Lucy’s pattern, which is a width for a single bed.

Using Stylecraft Special DK, and a 4.5mm hook, make a foundation chain of 198, and work 78 rows for the body of the blanket. (This is a little shorter than Lucy’s pattern)

Here are the colours in the order they were crochetted:

The colours in bold are the same colours as Lucy used, although not necessarily in the same order (I have listed the colours I have substituted in Cal4):

Petrol, Meadow, Saffron, Spice, Bright Pink, Lime,

Khaki, Wisteria, Magenta, Clematis, Spice, Raspberry,

Denim, Bluebell, Khaki, Petrol, Spice, Lime, 

Saffron, Spice, Bright Pink, Magenta, Clematis, Bluebell,

Denim, Meadow, Saffron, Clematis, Raspberry, Spice,

Saffron, Lime, Petrol, Magenta, Wisteria, Khaki,

Clematis, Meadow, Denim, Bright Pink, Saffron, Spice,

Raspberry, Bluebell, Lime, Saffron, Denim, Magenta,

Spice, Meadow, Bright Pink, Clematis, Saffron, Khaki,

Spice, Wisteria, Petrol, Bluebell, Raspberry, Spice, 

Saffron, Lime, Bluebell, Magenta, Spice, Saffron,

Meadow, Petrol, Raspberry, Bright Pink, Khaki, Denim, 

Clematis, Wisteria, Spice, Magenta, Lime and Petrol.

 

I had fun mixing and matching the colours for the border as you can see from these previous posts :

Cal5

Cal5 decisions and choices, where you can see many of the squares as well as the ones that Miss E and my daughter chose as their favourites

Cal7, where you can see more squares and me trying to work out how many for each side. I realise now that I did not need to add any rows at all as the seam lines add sufficient extra length to the squares to fit.

If you want to know any further details about this bedspread, let me know. There are over 500 variations on Ravelry, so plenty of inspiration for other colour combinations.

It was an absolute joy to make!

I might just have to make another one.